Zaibatsu
by Ashurato
Summary: AU and TYL. What the Tenth President of Vongola Zaibatsu lacks in height, he makes up in his presence and the ability to control the six snarling beasts under the guise of his Vice-Presidents. TYL!Guardians/TYL!Tsuna, 6927 main.
1. Of Six Snarling Beasts

Zaibatsu

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Chapter One

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Vongola Zaibatsu. One of the most powerful corporations in Japan was on the brink of a changeover in leadership. With the Ninth generation boss retiring, the mantle of authority falls upon the shoulders of the Tenth generation boss and his six Vice-Presidents.

Calm and collected but generous with his smiles, Yamamoto Takeshi was a natural businessman, perfect in his position as Vice-President of Sales. He was easy-going but firm in his decisions… except during baseball season, when the Tenth insists that he leave most of the decision making to his assistants. They learned quickly from prior years that the normally sharp-witted Vice-President would revert to the mindless form of a zombie upon sight of a baseball game.

Although one would not have expected it, the chain-smoking Gokudera Hayato, Vice-President of Accounting, was a mathematical genius. What was obvious was the light-haired, short-tempered man's unhealthy infatuation and complex when it came to his boss. It was written in each employee's manuals never to inform him of the Tenth's business trips, lest they have to deal with a grown man throwing fits and calculators in despair of being left behind. Vongola Zaibatsu's profits have often gone to repairing the damages that Gokudera inflict upon objects and people.

The Compliance Department was a whole different type of animal in comparison to the other departments. Led by Vice-President Hibari Kyoya, Compliance presented a sense of danger as well as security about the company. This dictatorship had the reputation of quickly stamping out those who do not follow the rules in often cruel and violent means of punishment. Although one look from the steely-gazed, handsome face would capture the fancy of many women and even some men, the sound of Hibari's steel tonfas striking flesh and breaking bone was usually more than enough to keep even his most fervent admirers cowering in the shadows.

Lambo, the Vice-President of Operations, could be described as 'eccentric' at best, 'an idiot' during normal business hours. It was not that he did not love his job or was bad at it; on the contrary, he may love his job too much. Those who were looking for him could never find him in his office, as Lambo preferred a more hands-on approach to things. He would have bouts of unbreakable concentration and rather attractive sense of authority followed by unexplainable hyperactive behavior more befitting a five-year-old child rather than an experienced business man. The Operations employees have even gone to the extent of speaking softly, hiding sharp objects, and padding the edges of furniture in Lambo's presence, as there was no telling what would set off the next fountain of tears.

Golf would have been a more expected sport when it comes to building strong International Relations, but Vice-President Sasagawa Ryohei had never been one to follow the trends. Eternally full of energy and curiosity, not even a language barrier could hinder progress when international clients are easily taken in and fascinated by Ryohei's vigor and honest desire to extend beyond his limits. But he was also not an overly proud individual and would often cheerily admit his shortcomings to business rivals, much to the chagrin of his employees. It has even been rumored that several companies have taken to using boxing as stress-relievers after a day at the office.

The Vice-President of Information Technology, Rokudo Mukuro, was a pervert. Granted, he was only a pervert towards a specific individual, but that does not change the fact that he was one. The Tenth has had to change locks, add security codes, deadbolts, and even active guards to the entrance of his office, but being the informed (and slightly terrifying) person he was, everything fell apart before Mukuro's infinite resources. Deviant he may be, the Tenth and the other Vice-Presidents had to grudgingly admit that Mukuro's resourcefulness is why he was the best at his job. But it has not stopped the others from trying to smash his face in with a tonfa or jam a lit stick of dynamite where the sun don't shine to keep him from molesting their boss.

At first glance, the Tenth President of Vongola Zaibatsu would appear like any other person on the street, albeit a little more vertically challenged than other men his age. He had burnished dark copper hair that was short in the front and much longer in the back, and amber eyes that seem to gleam slightly crimson when he is irate. But what he lacks in height, he makes up in his presence and the ability to control the six snarling beasts under the guise of his Vice-Presidents. His small figure often cause his opponents to underestimate him, but within him lies a strength that can knock out even the strongest of individuals for weeks if his fury is brought to light. Mukuro has the honor of being personally—and frequently—acquainted with this particular trait.

All in all, it made for a very amusing company to work for, at least in the opinion of the Tenth's Chief Advisor, Reborn.

--

Mondays were never good days, thought Tsuna as pandemonium raged around him in what was supposed to be his weekly staff meeting. The delighted smirk he saw Reborn snarkily send his way only served to further agitate his already frayed nerves. "Be quiet, all of you!" Tsuna yelled as he slammed a fist against the table.

Several startled pairs of eyes whipped around to face their boss, breaths catching when they saw rage staining his eyes red. The deadly silence was broken by the sound of cracking, as the force by which Tsuna struck the table had caused it to splinter and break in half, spilling documents, wooden remains, and life-giving cups of coffee on the marble floor.

Yamamoto was the first to regain his composure and dialed a number on his cell phone. "Lancia, could you please bring up the spare conference table? … No, not Hibari or Gokudera… it was Tsuna this time. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Tsuna rubbed his temples with his fingertips before letting out a defeated sigh. "Now, will someone please tell me what happened?"

When no one answered him, Tsuna exchanged a perplexed glance with a smirking Reborn and felt the last vestiges of his patience snap into oblivion. He fixed a threateningly sugary-sweet smile on his face and whirled upon the person he knew he could force the answers out of. "Gokudera-kun!"

"Hai, Juudaime!" yelled the silver-haired man in a louder tone than necessary as he shot straight up from his chair. He was clearly agitated and looked anywhere but directly at his boss. It did not deter Tsuna, however. Instead, Gokudera felt Tsuna reach in and confiscate the pack of cigarettes from the inner pocket of his jacket. "W-wait!!"

Tsuna could barely keep the smile off his face when he heard the soft, troubled whine of protest from Gokudera. He held up the pack towards Reborn. "Reborn, is this the last of what he has?"

"It is," smiled Reborn, meshing his fingers before his mouth to hide his amusement. "I made certain of it."

"WHAT!?"

Tsuna nodded, ignoring Gokudera and bringing the heavy-duty paper shredder next to his chair before sitting back down. He wrinkled his nose as he pulled out a stick and held it threateningly over the waiting jaws of the shredder. "Gokudera-kun?"

Gokudera, who was already sweating bullets at the thought of going without his cancer sticks, cracked like skulls under Hibari's tonfas. "We don't like Byakuran!"

Shocked that the silver-haired man would bluntly state his displeasure, Tsuna accidentally let go of the stick and it was quickly reduced to a shredded pile of thrash. Gokudera's desperate howls of despair were quickly silenced by a horrific glare from Hibari, who was sitting across from him.

"What the idiot meant to say was that we disagree with the suggested merger of Millefiore Company into a subsidiary of Vongola Zaibatsu. Smaller they may be and even though this is more like an absorption than a merger, they are ambitious enough to try making Vongola crumble from within," snapped Hibari, disgusted at the Accounting Vice-President's addiction to nicotine. "Weak herbivore."

"And the rest of you?" asked Tsuna as he turned off the shredder to fix his remaining Vice-Presidents with a pointed gaze.

Yamamoto and Ryohei both smiled. "Sasagawa and I both think that this is a good opportunity for both of our companies. No matter what the others say, Byakuran isn't really a bad sort. If we could survive Varia's attempted takeover and even gain their some-what loyalty, then I don't see how we can't deal with Millefiore," said Yamamoto.

"This opportunity is too extreme to pass, Boss!" added Ryohei, punching the air with his fists to make his point.

Lambo simply shrugged when the gaze fell on him. "It won't affect my department either way, Tsuna. But the added personnel they will bring in would be useful."

Tsuna nodded and looked around before he realized that there was someone missing. As glad as he was to escape molestation for the better part of the day, running the company was still his first priority. And unfortunately, the man was a key figure in accomplishing that goal. "Where is Mukuro?"

As if Mukuro's name signaled the harbinger of doom, every cell phone in the room began ringing within seconds of each other. Due to their surprise at the rare event, the Vice-Presidents all picked up their phones to answer just as Squalo burst in, startling Lancia who had arrived to replace the mangled table.

"Boss! There's an emergency!" yelled Squalo frantically, uncaring that if the other Vice-Presidents were not preoccupied, his interruption would not have been without grave consequences—or at least a fight. "Millefiore's stocks took a huge hit just right now and are still plummeting!"

Cell phones dropped in shock as the news Squalo brought reflected the messages they were receiving, but Hibari only pocketed his with a knowing smirk. Reborn's smile also grew almost too wide to hide behind his hands and his body started to shake with barely-contained laughter.

Tsuna's shock quickly dissipated and was replaced by clear annoyance. He knew exactly what was wrong. He picked up the conference phone and dialed an all-too familiar extension before putting it on speaker. It didn't take long for the person on the other end to pick up.

"Yes?" came the smooth, unprofessionally mocking tone. "Sawada Tsunayoshi Juudaime-sama."

"Mukuro."

"Kufufufu…" The distinctive chuckle of the IT Vice-President filtered through the air and sent chills down their spines. The occupants of the conference room all felt dirty just hearing him speak. "Oya oya, I was not expecting you to call me so early, Tsunayoshi-kun. Are you missing me that much already?"

Tsuna growled at the sly tone. "Whatever you're doing, stop it."

"Oya? But that wasn't what you said last night. In fact, I explicitly remember that you insist I keep going," said the voice lewdly.

"MUKURO!" snarled Tsuna, growing red in the face from both anger and embarrassment at Mukuro's perverted, exaggerated lies. Even his other Vice-Presidents were clearly holding themselves back from either breaking the phone or paying a quick visit to the IT Department.

"Oh, so it isn't about that? How disappointing…" The sound of fingers rapidly striking a keyboard was quickly growing more pronounced through the phone. "You would like me to stop doing my job, then? Tut tut, Tsunayoshi-kun. Think of the example you are setting."

"Mukuro!" sharply commanded Tsuna. "Stop throwing the stock market into chaos."

"But I am doing nothing of the sort." Mukuro's tone was simply dripping sincerity.

Tsuna was close to going down to IT and snapping his Vice-President's neck himself. "Chikusa! Ken! Desist at once!"

"No can do, Tsunayoshi-sama," floated Chikusa's voice from the phone. "It states in the IT Department's contract that Mukuro-san's authority overrides yours when it comes to his employees."

"Then why call me 'Tsunayoshi-sama' at all?"

Ken's boisterous laughter cut off Chikusa's explanation. "Because you still sign our paychecks, pyon!"

Tsuna sighed tiredly. He should have known. "Mukuro, what do you want?" This was starting to feel like a hostage situation. He never thought he would have to pay ransom to one of his own Vice-Presidents.

"A date. This Saturday." The people in the room could already see Mukuro's triumphant smirk at finally cornering Tsuna. "I'll see you in your office later, Tsunayoshi-kun."

"Fine," snapped Tsuna before killing the connection. Not even bothering to spare the others a glance as cell phones rang to inform them of the reviving Millefiore stocks, he began the trek back to his office. "Meeting adjourned. And have Chrome bring me copies of the IT contracts for revision."

With Tsuna's departure, the atmosphere in the room quickly became murderous until one-by-one, the other remaining Vice-Presidents left. Without needing discussion, they mutually decided to pay the IT Department a visit—tonfas, swords, and explosives in hand.

Squalo and Lancia exchanged glances and growled in frustration. "Dammit, I lost," hissed Squalo as he reached into his back pocket and tossed some bills towards Reborn. "I thought it was going to be that asexual Compliance VP that would get to Boss first."

"I bet on that Octopus-head of an Accounting VP," Lancia sighed in defeat as he also searched for his wallet. "With that moron always following the Tenth around like a kicked little bitch, I thought he would grow a backbone one day."

"You two still have a lot to learn," smiled Reborn as he leaned back, enjoying the whining of the losers. "Don't worry. That was only the first round."

Yes, thought Reborn as he languidly got up from his seat to collect his winnings. He will definitely enjoy working with the Tenth Generation leaders of Vongola Zaibatsu. Very much indeed.

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End Chapter One

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Author's Note:

- This will be my first attempt into writing a Katekyo Hitman Reborn! fanfic. As per my usual, it will be yaoi/shonen-ai, but how high the rating is going to go depends on my mood (and maybe reviews). Pairings are GuardiansxTsuna, and maybe even othersxTsuna, but it is mainly going to be 6927 because that is the pairing that I feel like gnawing upon the most (and there really aren't too many of them to my taste). And PervyTYL!Mukuro and AnnoyedTYL!Tsuna is a hoot to write.

- The setting is AU and the characters are all in their TYL selves because I find that more fun to write, but many things are still similar, just without most of the flashy powers they have in the canon. This is more the business world rather than the mafia, but I still want to incorporate some of that in the story.

- For those who were wondering what a _zaibatsu_ is, they are large, family-controlled monopolies that usually deals with finance and other things in Japan's history. It's like the equivalent of a conglomerate, where it's a big company with one name that doesn't really have a specific business section. They supposedly aren't supposed to exist anymore, but let's ignore that little detail, shall we?


	2. Profits Gained

Zaibatsu

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Chapter Two

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Sawada Tsunayoshi-sama, Juudaime of Vongola Zaibatsu, buried his head in the arms he had folded over his desk. Monday was not yet over, but he wanted nothing more than to just melt into the surroundings and ignore those who came looking for him—urgent matters be damned.

"Reborn," he said without lifting his head.

Tsuna's Chief Advisor glanced up from polishing his guns. "What is it, Tsuna Juudaime?"

"Don't call me that," whined Tsuna childishly in a way that he reserved only for Reborn. "Everyone else calls me that."

"Then what should I call you?" asked Reborn with a hint of curiosity.

Tsuna looked up with a mischievous light in his amber eyes. "Dame-Tsuna."

To Tsuna's surprise, the normally composed Arcobaleno almost dropped Leon, his favorite rifle, and let out a rare laugh. He could count on one hand how many times Reborn had been caught off-guard enough to vocally express his amusement at a situation. "You haven't called me that in years."

"There hasn't been a need to. Dame-Tsuna disappeared a long time ago."

Tsuna sighed and leaned back on his chair. "Nope, he's still here. Just with longer hair, a business suit, and a multi-billion yen zaibatsu to run."

Realizing just how much his pupil had grown in both body and mind, Reborn smirked. "If you insist, Dame-Tsuna."

The familiar insult coming from an older voice put a smile on Tsuna's lips, lifting the mantle of duty and expectation off his shoulders if only for a short while. Ever since he succeeded as the Tenth President of Vongola Zaibatsu, Tsuna had felt the chains of responsibility weighing him down. He could not crack a smile or frown without someone fawning over him and keeping the image of solidarity was exhausting. More than anyone, Tsuna was thankful that Reborn was there to keep him grounded and remind him who he was. Not "President". Not "Boss". Not "Tenth". But simply "Sawada Tsunayoshi".

Comforted by Reborn's affirmation and lulled by the silence in his office, Tsuna fell asleep with his head still pillowed by his arms. Before long, he was in such a deep state of sleep that he did not notice someone trip his security codes and slice through his multiple deadbolts with the confidence and dexterity of an incredibly skilled spy.

The smirk on Reborn's face widened when he noticed the sound. He attached a silencer on Leon, so as not to wake Tsuna, and just as the door opened for the intruder, he fired several shots. He knew of only one person who is above knocking to gain entrance into this particular room.

Rokudou Mukuro stepped into the room like he owned everything in it (in his mind, he would be satisfied through simply owning Sawada Tsunayoshi). He nodded to Reborn, not intimidated by the smoldering bullet holes buried in the door jamb scant millimeters from his head and the smoking rifle the younger man was holding. If Reborn had shot to kill, he would have been dead long ago. "Oya, I seem to have caught Tsunayoshi-kun sleeping on the job. I suppose some measure of discipline is in order."

Reborn grinned crookedly, showing no sign of being fazed by Mukuro's forced entry and trespassing into Tsuna's office. "That is Hibari's job, Mukuro."

"Oh, we don't have to tell him about this insignificant break in procedures," replied Mukuro with an insinuation in his tone. "The man has too many pleasures in life. He can't deny me this one."

"He won't be pleased," warned Reborn. "He's been aching to bite people to death even after Tsuna threatened to suspend him due to mounting insurance claims."

"Kufufu…" Mukuro chuckled as he approached the desk to lay down a small stack of documents. "When is he ever? Besides, to my understanding, you owe me a debt of gratitude, Arcobaleno. What is this story about a bet I heard Lancia cursing about?"

Reborn shrugged but the smile on his face did not waver. Mukuro has repeatedly proven himself as a great source of entertainment and revenue that Reborn almost felt the need to thank him and Tsuna for being so malleable to his plans.

Almost. He had a reputation to maintain after all.

Mukuro leered at the sleeping Juudaime but continued to address Reborn. "Not that it matters to me. I have nothing to hide after all."

Reborn snorted at the irony of the man whose background was almost a complete mystery and whose shady dealings have toppled many a rival company insisting he has nothing to hide.

"You must have such faith and regard for my talents," smiled Mukuro disarmingly." To rake in as much as you do."

"Keep telling yourself that," replied Reborn as his attention shifted to the papers Mukuro had brought with him. "I thought Chrome was going to bring the contracts."

The look on Mukuro's face told Reborn all he needed to know.

"You can't keep ditching your employees to fend for themselves every time you instigate something to make the others demand your head on a platter," said Reborn as he mildly chastised the older man. "And the repairs necessary to your department is becoming detrimental to the profits of this zaibatsu. You're a big boy. Clean up your own mess."

"And how do you explain the VP of Operations?"

Reborn's face twisted slightly in disgust. "Since when do animals inflicted with mad cow disease have the same mental facilities as humans?"

"Those four can take care of themselves," replied Mukuro snidely. He had the smallest department in the zaibatsu, for everyone else had either begged to be transferred or lost their minds completely.

"Each of those four can cause more damage than Gokudera. Moreover, you know as well as I do that as much as Tsuna could be out for your blood, he's too cautious to enter that death trap you call your office."

"A necessary precaution for a department with highly sensitive information, I assure you." That said, Mukuro glanced at the wall clock and then at the still-unconscious Tsuna. "If Tsunayoshi-kun is exhausted to the point that he's still asleep when I'm this close, then it's best if I take him home."

The sound of a safety being unlatched prompted Mukuro to turn around in amusement to see Reborn merrily pointing a gun in his direction. He returned the action with an amicable smile.

"You don't actually think that I would leave Dame-Tsuna with a known deviant such as yourself, do you, Mukuro?"

"Actually," smirked Mukuro as he gently picked up his sleeping boss. "I expect you to do exactly that, Arcobaleno."

If anything, Reborn had to admire Mukuro's cheek and his blatant disrespect of authority. He released the safety and lowered the gun with a mischievous sparkle in his eye. "Indeed I will. Let this be a lesson to Dame-Tsuna for so easily letting his guard down. Do as you see fit."

Without waiting for any more instructions, Mukuro left the office with his oblivious captive in his arms. It wasn't everyday that the Chief Advisor gave him permission to have his way with his boss. On the way down, the strange sight of the IT VP carrying the unconscious President of the zaibatsu out of the building sparked the start of more than a few rumors. But even more common were sighs of defeat as a good number of employees started the trek to the Chief Advisor's office, their wallets growing lighter with each step.

Back in the office, a smiling Reborn propped his legs on the table and dialed the Compliance Department's extension. "Hibari? I have news for you…"

--

Tsuna blearily opened his eyes when he felt a dull pain on his neck. Brushing it off as having slept in an awkward position, Tsuna closed his eyes and sank back into the embrace of soft, fluffy pillows, cool silk sheets, and the possessive arms of his Information Technology Vice-President.

Tsuna's eyes grew impossibly wide and he mentally screamed as his brain processed the information. What he just thought of was wrong is so many levels! His body only stiffened as he felt the sleeping Mukuro's arms instinctively hold him closer. In Tsuna's panic, he did the only thing he could do.

Mukuro yawned and let out a soft sigh when he felt his source of warmth inch away from him. With mismatched eyes still foggy from sleep, Mukuro sent Tsuna a wide smile that stayed on his face even as he felt the unforgiving fist impact his unprotected cheek with the brutal force of steel.

"Mukuro!" raged Tsuna, only realizing that he was not in his office, his clothes have been changed, and the Mukuro he just sent careening off the bed was without a shirt. "What in Vongola Primo's name did you do!?"

_The_ Rokudo Mukuro, Vice-President of IT and pervert-extraordinaire, who could match wits with Gokudera and strength with Hibari, meekly peeked his eyes over the edge of the bed at the livid Tsuna. "You fell asleep on your desk, so I told the Arcobaleno that I was going to take you home."

"And I'm supposed to believe that Reborn would just let you do that? That people would just let you walk out?"

Mukuro nodded and smiled with as much innocence his depraved personality could muster.

Tsuna groaned, knowing that Reborn was quite capable of doing something so sadistic. Moreover, most employees in the zaibatsu are terrified of Mukuro, which would rule out any rescue from that end if they decide that his life was not in any immediate danger. "What is wrong with the two of you? Both of you know that I had a meeting with Byakuran this afternoon. And moreover, why am I in _your_ room!?"

The mention of Byakuran's name made Mukuro's eyes shine with a hard light, but the moment passed quickly. "The Arcobaleno will take care of it. And your room was locked, so there was no way I could get in without disturbing you."

"I'd rather you disturbed me," Tsuna growled. "You speak as if locks and barricades had ever stopped you before. Then how did you get my pajamas? I've been looking for this particular set for weeks!"

"I keep a spare set of your clothing just in case," replied Mukuro as if he was commenting on the weather.

From that day on, Tsuna decided never to let Chrome handle any of his dry-cleaning. It was rather shocking how the Rokudo siblings differed so much in personality but still got along so irritatingly well. As much as he loathes saying no to Mukuro's younger sister, Tsuna wasn't quite willing to just let her deliver him to her brother without any resistance. Unfortunately, shuddered Tsuna, Mukuro's hobby is _breaking_ resistance. "I don't even want to ask if you changed my clothes, but at least put a shirt on! You'll give people ideas that are completely wrong!"

"Oh?" whispered Mukuro as he put on his camouflage shirt and crawled closer to Tsuna. "Then how about if we give them ideas that are the truth?"

Their conversation—and Tsuna's fist impacting Mukuro's other cheek—was interrupted by the sound of violent pounding against Mukuro's door. The barricade suddenly broke to pieces, revealing the disturbance to be Hibari Kyoya, who immediately stepped inside with tonfas in hand. The sharp, cobalt gaze pinned the stunned Tsuna and annoyed Mukuro in place.

Mukuro was unaffected by the glare and simply smiled back toothily, but his eyes were sharp and piercing in anger. He furtively reached a hand behind his headboard to lightly contact with the trident he kept hidden. "Hibari-kun, next time try knocking first. The door was unlocked."

A rare self-satisfied smirk twisted the Compliance VP's thin lips. Tsuna shook his head, already feeling the onslaught of war at hand.

"What the two of you do in your spare time is none of my concern, but during normal business hours, you are both subject to the same rules as everyone else," said Hibari as he raised his tonfas in the attack position. "Being the President will not spare you from being bitten to death."

"Oya oya, I think it's a little too late for that now, Hibari-kun," said Mukuro as he approached a wary Tsuna and grabbed him by the collar. "As you can see…"

To Tsuna's horror, Mukuro pulled down his collar and drew his head to the side to reveal the true cause of the discomfort on his neck. "Mukuro!" squeaked Tsuna indignantly, his mind struggling to comprehend what the indigo-haired man had done. He didn't have long to wonder before he heard steel clashing against steel as Mukuro blocked Hibari's tonfas with his trident.

"You bastard!" hissed Hibari as he drew back to strike again, face contorting in his fury.

"Jealous much?" teased Mukuro viciously as he lunged forward. "Only early birds catch anything, _Hibari__-kun_."

Neither of them noticed as Tsuna make his way out of the room. Once he was out of range of the warzone, he breathed a sigh of relief. This is what happens when such different personalities live and work under one roof. As he reached his door, which he was annoyed to find unlocked contrary to Mukuro's story, he heard an unexpected voice.

"Tsu-kun!" Byakuran, the President of Millefiore who had arrived with Hibari, approached Tsuna with a fox-like grin on his face that quickly dissolved into concern.

"Byakuran!" greeted Tsuna, self-conscious in his pajamas next to the man in full-business attire. "I'm so sorry about the meeting!"

"Forget about that, Tsu-kun! Reborn told me that you weren't feeling well, so I came to see how you were doing," reassured Byakuran, but his eyes were fixed on Tsuna's neck. "But what happened to your neck? Were you bitten by something?"

Tsuna's face darkened as he led Byakuran to his home office, ignoring the noise coming from where he left. He mentally noted to deduct the cost of repairs from Mukuro and Hibari's paychecks. "Yes, a particularly big bug with a vicious personality."

Yes, thought Tsuna, the Compliance and IT Departments are going to run red with blood tomorrow.

--

End Chapter Two

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Author's Notes:

- I updated this a little earlier than expected because today (10-14-08) is Tsunayoshi's birthday. Happy birthday, Tsuna! I've decided to update once a week, just in case you guys wanted to know the span of time I will take for each chapter. I'll try to update every Thursday. Added with the fact that I have some 6927 doujinshi coming in the mail, I'm more than a little happy.

- Thank you very much for all of the wonderful reviews. I really appreciate my readers' feedback for something I write. Honestly, I wasn't expecting this story to gain that much attention (and on the first chapter of all things!), so I was very surprised. XD

- I'm not a big fan of writing long author's notes, but let me answer some of your questions:

- I've meshed the Compliance Department and Security together (as Compliance is mainly the Department that makes sure that the company follows all of the given rules in the specific trade the company deals in, whether it be something like logistics, or food, or retail). Hibari was just meant for this job.

- There is definitely some 1827 and others on the horizon. It's my second favorite pairing, so there's no way I can leave it behind. But still, 6927 is my Reborn OTP and will remain as such. As for Gokudera's cigarettes and Tsuna's slight bout of sadism… that was just my desire to torture Gokudera a little. :3

- Please feel free to express your love through Interpretive Dance. (: And I'm happy someone pointed out my weak point of tenses.

- Yes, Operations also includes the department of Human Resources. Lo and behold Lambo being in charge of paychecks. As a "zaibatsu," I'm imagining this "conglomerate" to be in charge of smaller subsidiary companies in unrelated fields, such as aerospace, medicine, banking, and even logistics, so there isn't really a specific product they produce, per say. It also (ideally) removes the need for a Productions VP (since there's only six of them), but I would probably put it under Yamamoto if I had to.

- Katekyo Hitman Reborn doesn't belong to me. I should at least state the obvious once. (:


	3. Burn, Baby, Burn

Zaibatsu

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Chapter Three

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As each of Vongola Zaibatsu's Vice-Presidents came home to the mansion, the sound of Hibari and Mukuro's fight and the shaking of the mansion's foundation prompted them to steer clear. The last time a physical brawl had drawn everyone in with it destructive magnetism, the sheer damage caused by Tsuna's fury left all six of them out of commission for a full month. Tsuna was forced to exercise his power of authority and with help from Reborn and cooperation from the Varia, he had efficiently taken control of every aspect of the zaibatsu.

It showed them that Tsuna was more than capable of running the zaibatsu of his own accord—that he was not hiding behind a name and the work of others to advance in the world. But it also proved the painful truth that they were all replaceable, and that they had all failed in the one thing they had promised to do: help lift the massive weight of responsibility from Tsuna's shoulders.

The bitter aftertaste of uselessness and guilt that gnawed on their palates had stagnated, effectively stopping the number of fights that occurred afterwards. Except for the two rabid beasts that were impossible to tame.

Mukuro's room looked like the aftermath of a veritable warzone. The normally sparse, dark room was bathed in the crimson light of the setting sun as it streamed through the rather sizeable holes in the walls.

The clash of weapons and the flash of steel faded as night started to fall. The two exhausted, equally battered men glared at each other across the tattered ruins of what was formerly Mukuro's furniture. Blood that painted their bodies also similarly covered the floor and walls as if they were extensions of the two men, evidence to an all-encompassing ire at being denied. Yet despite the violence that had erupted, the sun set to a calmness more attuned to peace. But it was an angry silence that neither side wanted to break, lest more wounds be added to their already strained bodies.

Theirs was a never-ending battle, fueled by rage and a burning passion only one side would dare form into words.

"You are also in love with him," softly hissed Mukuro as he pointed his trident towards Hibari. "And yet you say nothing…" It wasn't a question, more of an accusation as the unspoken implication hung in the air.

_**Coward.**_

Hibari's glare grew freezing as he struggled to get back on his feet. "Don't even attempt to reason with things you don't understand."

"No," growled Mukuro. "Your problem is that I understand too well."

"Go to hell."

"Hell… as you said, '_don't even attempt to reason with things you don't understand'_," Mukuro smirked as he got on his feet and limped for the door. "It's not a nice place. But I'll be damned seven times over if you think that I would surrender Tsunayoshi-kun to a half-wit who doesn't know what he wants. But don't feel special quite yet. There are more idiots like you who are too blind to realize what's before your very eyes.

"And before you know it, it will be too late."

With that, the long-haired man left the ruined room, supported by his trident. Hibari Kyoya leaned against the wall as his tonfas dangled uselessly in his hands. "Dammit," he cursed softly.

He knew Mukuro told the truth, but the words surprisingly stabbed nonetheless. But he was a man who would rather bite his tongue and die than to mutter words against his character. He is a man who would follow his fists rather than to spare a moment to listen to his desires. For the first time, the indestructible man felt the cold wave of fear flow through his veins and arrest his heart.

---

Byakuran sat outside of Tsuna's bedroom door after being physically thrown out by the smaller—yet surprisingly strong—younger man. But despite his hurt tone, the foxy grin was affixed permanently on his face. The young Vongola was extremely easy to tease—his favorite kind of person. "Tsu-kun. I'm hurt! Why did you toss me out?"

The harassed tone of voice that answered him carried clearly through the door. "Because I'm changing clothes."

"I could have spoken to you while you were still in your pajamas. Aren't we friends? And it's not like you have something I've never seen before. Look, I have one too! I'll show you!"

"No!" Tsuna didn't bother to suppress his sigh of exasperation at Byakuran's antics. He was familiar with how Byakuran liked to bait him like a cat pouncing on a cornered mouse. "And have you forgotten how you tried to infiltrate this company before, Byakuran?"

The amused expression on Byakuran's face faded and turned shrewdly calculating. Yes, Tsuna was his favorite type of prey. "But that was in the past, Tsuna. When the Ninth was President, he was too weak to control the ambitions of those who wanted power. It's different now with you in charge."

Tsuna ignored the insult towards the Ninth and the slight hidden jab describing the Varia as power-hungry and opened the door. They weren't hungry for power. They simply wanted to be able to access their full potential and be acknowledged for the work they did—rather than to simply act as puppets on display. The Ninth had sought to protect them like children, inhibiting their growth whilst all they want to do was step out in the fields on their own. With that empathy and the promise not to stifle their growth, Tsuna gained the loyalty of Xanxus and his Varia.

He stared down at the white-haired man and forced his tight smile to look more natural. "I wasn't alone in that endeavor, Byakuran."

"I am well aware of that face, Tsu-kun," replied Byakuran before standing up and following Tsuna to the office. "The mutual respect between you and your Vice-Presidents is famous in social circles."

There was something in Byakuran's tone of voice that implied to Tsuna that there was information being left out, but in the midst of business endeavors, the fewer enemies one had, the better. Byakuran had been an enemy before and the two sides suffered many casualties—something Tsuna would do almost anything to prevent from happening again. And as the Tenth, he now can.

Once Tsuna had taken his place on his seat, his countenance shifted into that of the Tenth President of Vongola Zaibatsu—fierce, fearless, and just. "Now about this merger, Byakuran. Why is Millefiore willing to become absorbed into Vongola Zaibatsu without so much as a single stipulation on your part? A few of my advisors are not too keen on this due to our past history."

Tsuna knew that Byakuran is not a man who would take business dealings lightly. The had to be a reason why he was doing what he was—whether the purpose was advantageous or detrimental to Vongola. But as Byakura walked towards the window, Tsuna wondered if he even heard what he said.

"Byakuran… why are you doing this? This isn't like you."

Byakuran was silent as he stared out into the darkening sky and touched the leaves of ivy growing up the walls. "Do you know what ivy means in flower language, Tsu-kun?"

Tsuna was not expecting the sudden change in subject, but he knew that there was a method to Byakuran's ramblings. He and Mukuro were similar in that sense. "No."

"Ivy means fidelity, loyalty to a cause. When the vines of ivy climb up a weak wall, the tiny vines can penetrate the loose foundation and cause more damage. But a strong wall is impenetrable to the climbing vines of the ivy. It will not be damaged and instead will be protected by the ivy from weathering."

Just like Millefiore's potential future with Vongola, thought Tsuna. They are afraid of something. The question is… what could Millefiore Company, which has struck fear into the hearts of even larger companies, possibly be afraid of?

"Tell me, Tsu-kun. Have you ever heard of the Estraneo Family?"

---

Mukuro hobbled painfully to the office of Vongola's resident physician and human parasite, Doctor Shamal. This time, his wounds needed more than a good night's sleep to fix. "Shamal, open the door before I break it down."

To his surprise, the one who opened the door was Gokudera. The silver-haired man was clutching his stomach and his green-tinged face had seen better days… or better people to be correct. "Mukuro."

Not for the first time, Mukuro wondered if Bianchi could possibly be Vongola Zaibatsu's trump card in taking out their enemies without firing a single bullet. As terrifying as the woman was, she was thorough.

"Gokudera." Although the two were not close friends, they held a mutual regard for the other's wit and decency in knowing when to turn a blind eye and mind their own business. Mukuro would refrain from telling Bianchi where to find her brother and Gokudera would not ask questions about the heterochromatic man's injuries. Gokudera could do without Mukuro's perverted claims on Tsuna and Mukuro despised Gokudera's self-appointed "watchdog" tendencies, but at least they refrained from clawing at each other's jugulars every time they meet. "It's moments like these when I count my blessings to have such a wonderful sister."

Gokudera grimaced as he moved out of the way to let Mukuro inside. "If you would ever like to trade, I would even pay you to take her off my hands. I would rather get shot in the leg than to look at Aneki's face more than I have to."

The strength backing the gruesome choice amused Mukuro as he limped inside. "Kufufu… what brought you to this conclusion?"

"It's either damage to my leg or damage to my pride," sniffed Gokudera as he clambered slowly back on the bed. "My leg is only a flesh wound—I can still fight with a bullet lodged in me somewhere. But the damage to my pride is damage to me as a man—dead is preferable."

Before Mukuro could reply, a rather tattered and bruised Doctor Shamal walked through the door, sighing in disappointment. "Again. Two disgusting males in front of me. How many times do I have to tell you that I don't treat men?" He then noticed that the other male was Mukuro and with the realization, his face contorted into a half-hearted snarl. "Especially not those who made me lose a small fortune to that damned gun-toting brat."

"Then you're an idiot for betting against Reborn-san in the first place, Shamal," clucked Gokudera, managing to taunt the doctor even through his stomach pains. "So how much did you lose? What was the bet about?" Some aspects of Gokudera just never grow up. Like his immaturity.

"Would you like a pair of black eyes to go with that smart mouth?" Doctor Shamal winced as his movements aggravated the injuries Bianchi had kindly given him. But even the pain was worth it when he poked Gokudera just below the ribs, eliciting a satisfying yelp of agony from the younger man. The silver-haired moron deserved it after all, after failing to beat the heterochromatic psycho to Tsuna. That was Shamal would put money on his own student. "None of your business, brat. And what are you here for, pineapple brat? Long hair isn't enough to make you look like a woman," said Shamal, pointing to Mukuro. "Save your sex appeal for under-aged brats."

"Kufufufu… nothing in particular," smiled Mukuro while his eyes promised a violent death if denied. "I am quite content to stand here and bleed on your floor."

Shamal shrugged, pulled out a cigarette from a box and lit it, uncaring that he was in the infirmary. "Suit yourself… you aren't diseased, are you?"

"Saa…" softly hissed Mukuro as the atmosphere around him grew heavy. "When the skin on your face starts to flake and peel, exposing the decomposing muscle below and the veins of your body rise to the surface, turning black as poisoned blood rush through like a torrent, you would beg to tear your own eyes out as they shrivel and die to placate the demons that have possessed your mortal body. You won't feel, you won't see, you won't taste anything but the evil torture seizing your soul. When the time comes, I will watch you writhe in torment as the flames consume you from within."

The cigarette fell from Shamal's mouth and even Gokudera shrank back into the bed before the savage look in Mukuro's eyes grew powerful and piercing enough to strip their target's skin off. Mukuro was scarier than Hibari, for while Hibari would swiftly guillotine his opponents to death, Mukuro would stall the blade, smile and watch as it fell centimeter by centimeter.

As much as Shamal pissed him off, the man was still necessary to Gokudera's plans—mainly the future removal of Bianchi. For the only one who frightened Gokudera more than Mukuro was his sister. And for that, he needed Shamal as alive and as intact as possible. "Sh-Shamal… he's wounded."

But after gaining his composure, Shamal proved to be either too brave or too stupid to notice the danger to his life. "And I said I don't treat men!"

"Liar! You take care of Juudaime every time he's hurt!"

"He signs my paychecks," replied Shamal as he picked up his dropped cigarette, shrugged off his tattered white coat and took a long, slow drag. "And he is feminine-looking enough for it to not matter."

"Keep your paws off Juudaime!" warned Gokudera as he snatched some sticks of dynamite that he had smuggled in. Forget about Shamal's well-being, after that little quip, Mukuro could inflict whatever evils he wanted on Shamal. The only thing greater than Gokudera' instinct of self-preservation was his loyalty to Tsuna.

The doctor balked at the very idea, but as he turned around to retort and smack his former pupil on the head a few times, an iron grip caught his throat and slammed him back against the wall. Mukuro's piercing gaze burned with anger as he moved his trident's points to a _very sensitive _location. The aura of anger didn't dissipate even after he closed his heterochromatic eyes with a smile. "Oya oya… Trident Shamal… how appropriate."

Shamal, who had never been intimidated by anything in his life, was sweating bullets as the beaten man showed just how much strength and power he still had.

"Doctor?" said Mukuro amicably. "May I present you with a suggestion and a little warning?"

"Y-yes?" The points of the trident were coming uncomfortably close to the danger zone.

"You don't have to tend to my injuries as long as you direct me to where the gauze and antiseptic are kept," reassured Mukuro. But his eyes hardened into crystallized gems with his warning. "But if you ever even think of laying a finger on Tsunayoshi-kun, your life will be over."

Shamal quickly pointed to a cabinet as he shrank back against the wall, horrified at being intimidated by a younger brat.

It was crystal-clear to Gokudera that Hibari finally hit Mukuro's head hard enough to break him. As sadistic as Mukuro was, he wasn't the type to threaten people—no, he would play with their minds and then shatter them without any warning. "Oi, we aren't allowed to kill people, Mukuro."

"Oya?" the indigo-haired man smirked as he headed for the first aid cabinet. "Whoever said anything about killing?"

Early morning the next day, a piercing shriek of agony rocked through the building's foundation. Shamal found his computer and multiple hard drives wiped clean and his "special books" and videos missing from the titanium vault he kept them in. All of the female contacts in his phone had also been replaced by the information of national physicians specializing in vasectomies and men's prostate health. Even his "little black book" was left in "little burnt shreds".

It was indeed a fate worse than death, punctuated by the sobs of despair that echoed through the mansion like the piteous howling of a trapped spirit.

Behind the mansion, Mukuro's face was alight with glee as the flames consuming the broken remains of his furniture and the massive stack of porn reflected in his eyes.

---

Reborn smoothly glided through the treacherous hallways leading into the IT Department, Leon in one hand and a silver suitcase in the other. Although it was still early in the morning, he knew that Mukuro's four subordinates were already there, causing mischief and earning profits. Although Mukuro's mere presence was usually enough to intimidate even the most hardened intruders and spies, the individuals creating the small family of the Information Technology department were quite active in protecting their privacy.

Along the way, Reborn had already avoided the falling needles, the lasers that set off the flame throwers, and the pass-coded entry way filled with tear gas without much thought. Now, he looked at the obstacle before him and smiled.

"I see that Ken brought some of his friends out to play," whispered Reborn to himself as two large, snarling pit bulls that were foaming profusely at the mouth rushed towards him. Almost lazily, he loaded Leon with tranquilizers strong enough to stun a herd to charging elephants dead on their tracks. Reborn smirked. If he was anything, he was thorough. "But still not enough."

The Arcobaleno fired twice and the two dogs were out before they could even yelp about getting hit. "Have a good rest." He then stepped over the dogs and sauntered into the IT Department office.

Chikusa, Ken, Chrome and Lancia, all gathered around a dry-erase board, looked up to see Reborn leaning against the right side of the door with his left leg propped up against the other side. No one could go in or out and the predatory smile on the Arcobaleno's face prompted each of them to step back slightly out of its range.

"Reborn-san! There's an elevator in Juudaime's office connected to here, you know!" They never failed to wonder why Reborn preferred taking the more treacherous route that gives the IT Department the nickname "Death Trap" than use the private elevator. But then they would have to explain the rather deviant reason why Mukuro didn't use it either.

"Good morning, Reborn-san," greeted Chrome. "You preferred to take the long way today?"

"Ciaossu, Chrome, Ken, Chigusa and Lancia," replied Reborn, amused to see the other finally relaxing in his presence. "Take it easy, I'm here with good news." He pushed off from the door and slid the metal suitcase he was carrying toward Chrome, Ken and Chikusa. "This is your portion. Use it as you will."

"Wh-what on earth is this, byon?" yelped Ken as he lifted the latch of the suitcase. "Wha--!" As it turned out, the suitcase carried more than what its appearance portended, for the two halves swung open and tossed large-denomination yen bills across the table and in the air.

Lancia dropped the cup of coffee that he was holding, but in his shock, he made no move to clean it up. Chikusa readjusted his glasses over the bridge of his nose after it had fallen in his surprise—and he was not taken off-guard easily. "Reborn-san, all of this can't possibly be from…"

"Tsk tsk. You underestimate my resources, Chikusa," Reborn smirked as he slyly drew his fedora down to cover his face. "You were smart to stick with Mukuro for the first round, but will that luck remain if an unexpected dark horse enters into the pool? Contrary to the Zaibatsu's promotions, this is where the money really lies."

"Dark horse? Dino-san?" asked Lancia, flabbergasted at the very idea. He had thought that the relationship between the two Presidents were purely platonic.

"Maa ne," replied Reborn furtively. "Take my words as you will."

Before Ken and Chikusa could inspect if the money was real, Chrome had quietly gathered the loose bills and closed the suitcase. Lancia sputtered as she pushed the case towards Reborn again. "All of this for Mukuro-niisama, Reborn-san… in regards to the whole IT Department this time."

"But—" Lancia made to argue, but Chrome's stoic face stared him into silence. Mukuro was a pain in the ass, but Lancia was rather fond of his sister.

Reborn used the tip of Leon's barrel to draw the suitcase into his possession once again, but his piercing stare was unwaveringly locked with Chrome's. "You have such faith in your brother. Are you telling him something you shouldn't be?"

Chrome smiled and shook her head. "Mukuro-niisama needs no prompting when it comes to going after something he wants."

"If you say so. Guarantee that my choice will always be the winner. It may be someone different this round," replied Reborn smugly before his expression grew serious. "But I'm here for something of a graver nature than this. I need your assistance. All of you. And not a word is to be said to either your Vice-President or the Tenth."

The uncommonly somber tone of Reborn's command made the four straighten up and give him their full attention. If there was anyone they answered to even above Mukuro and Tsuna, it was the Arcobaleno before them. For saving their lives, they owe him their own… for saving Mukuro, they gave him their loyalty.

Reborn nodded, satisfied by their resolve. "I want you to break into Millefiore's information stronghold.

"And destroy it."

-----

End Chapter Three

-----

Author's Notes:

- Thank you very much for the reviews and I'm really sorry you guys. I meant to update last Thursday, but the problems with writing things down on paper first is that you sometimes misplace where you put said pad of paper. This chapter was a little more serious than I meant for it to be, but I gotta get the plot rolling too—yes, there is a plot surprisingly enough.

- I noticed a lot of people like jealousy… the kind that twists and warps personalities to the point that they crack and act impulsively—yes, there's more on the way for you. :) And yes, 10027 is another pairing for this (meant more to torture Tsuna than anything).

- And I LOVE writing Mukuro as perverted. There's nothing better.


	4. Manipulation

Zaibatsu

-----

Chapter Four

-----

Tuesday morning saw four departmental Vice-Presidents and a heavily bandaged Hibari Kyoya and Rokudo Mukuro standing outside Tsuna's office. Although they had not been summoned, the sheer guilt from the fiasco both at work and at the mansion the day before brought all of them before the hammer of judgment with their tails between their legs. Well, all but two of them anyway.

Hibari had to be dragged and insulted to gain his semi-cooperation and Mukuro was there for his own personal agenda. But before the glares could intensify, Mukuro lightly rapped his knuckles on the closed door. To the others, the almost imperceptible noise sounded more like a death knell. When the door opened, all six of them slowly filed inside and stood before Tsuna's desk. The chair and its occupant faced away from them, silent as a judge pondering a verdict.

Ever the peace-maker, Yamamoto fixed his salesman smile on his face, known for disarming clients into accepting what he said as truth. Unfortunately, he also knew that Tsuna had gained an immunity to it right after high school. "Good morning, Tsuna. About the merger with Millefiore. We're ready to discuss it again… without the bloodshed this time."

Gokudera's shoulders shook in his desperate attempt to curb his outbursts. He was all but ready to throw himself to the mercy of the wolves with the desire for forgiveness. How could he have possibly caused more problems to Tsuna? He was a failure of a right-hand man. "We… apologize for our behavior yesterday, Juudaime. I am prepared to accept any punishment."

"Speak for yourself, herbivore," snapped Hibari, still incredibly annoyed that he was forced to join the group for what was looking to be a groveling session. "Grovel at your own time."

"What did you say?" growled Gokudera at the insult, his hands already fixed around the dynamite in his pockets. There was no longer any trace of apology on his face. "Don't act so high and mighty when—ack!" His tirade was cut off by the steel tonfa heading straight for his skull.

Mukuro sauntered over to the table and leaned against it with all the languid, predatory grace of a feline. "I didn't come here to apologize, Tsunayoshi-kun. Just remember that I can make all your problems go away if you just say the word."

"Yare yare," sighed Lambo as he shook his head. "You are all so excitable so early in the morning."

"Can it, stupid cow!" Gokudera flattened himself against the wall to avoid Hibari's attack.

Yamamoto quickly jumped behind Hibari and tried his best to restrain him just as Ryohei attempted to do the same with Gokudera. "We came here to fix the Millefiore problem, not cause another fight! Stop it or Tsuna will once again use EXTREME measures to do so!"

A low chuckle that sounded from Tsuna's chair froze them in place and caused Mukuro's eyes to narrow with suspicion. "Who are you? Tsunayoshi-kun's laughter is much sexier than that."

The leather seat twisted around to reveal a satisfied-looking Byakuran with an unconscious Tsuna on his lap. All it took was a split-second for Mukuro's face to twist into a feral snarl before he lunged at the white-haired President of Millefiore. Jealousy and hate rolled off his figure in waves as Byakuran, with the grace and agility he was known for, pushed the chair off to the side and out of the way of Mukuro's attack. "Such passionate guardians you have, Tsunayoshi-kun. No wonder you're so tired and sleeping when I found you here."

Byakuran tilted Tsuna's head to the side, exposing his neck, as he watched Ryohei vainly attempt to restrain Gokudera, who had grown animalistic in his rage. Yamamoto was not doing much better as Hibari flipped him over his head to crash to the floor. Hibari then silently lunged at the evasive Byakuran, his dark, black eyes smoldered in unspoken rage. But Yamamoto caught one of his legs and pulled, and the strength of the restraint brought Hibari down hard to the floor. "If you don't let go of me now, I will kill you."

"If you won't do it, I will," growled Mukuro as he pointed the tip of his trident at Lambo's throat. The droopy-eyed man fought to hide the shaking of his legs as he tried to calm down the heterochromatic psycho.

"C-calm down, Mukuro. Just bear with it for a minute until—" said Lambo lamely.

With a gentle finger, Byakuran traced the warm column of skin over Tsuna's jugular, eliciting a faint shudder from the unconscious man. "For one of the most powerful men in the world, you are much too sensitive, Tsunayoshi-kun. I must thank all of you for this precious opportunity." He gave one of his fox-like, closed-eyed smiles.

"Let go of Juudaime!" shouted Gokudera as Hibari threw his tonfa, cursing as the weapon missed its target and crashed through the window, shattering it to a thousand pieces. A strangled yell from outside the building also went ignored.

Feigned surprise washed over Byakuran's features. "Now why on earth would I do something like that? You should be thankful since Tsu-kun is cleaning up the mess you made."

"What mess?" asked Yamamoto, dodging the kick Hibari sent to his face. "Tsuna hasn't said anything to us."

"Oh? Or is it possible that you just don't listen? The merge will go through," smiled Byakuran. "Between Millefiore and Vongola."

"We haven't agreed to any terms!" hissed Hibari, intent on breaking Yamamoto's face in to be liberated if he had to. "I'll bite you to death! All of you."

Byakuran chuckled and in defiance of the six snarling beasts, he slowly licked the warm column of Tsuna's neck. He was delighted when the younger man's pulse raced even in his unconscious state. "There were no terms that were of any importance to the lot of you. All I needed was Tsu-kun's agreement—it is his company after all. Thank you, by the way, your lack of cooperation and mindless penchant for destruction made negotiations go so much easier."

"Oya oya. Negotiations, you say? The first I've heard of such a thing. It has been to my understanding that you all came here begging to be protected from the big, bad wolf," snarled Mukuro. "There is no way Tsunayoshi-kun would agree to dealings with you without my opinion!"

"Our opinions," mildly corrected Ryohei. He winced as Gokudera's flailing elbow slammed into his solar plexus.

"Your conflicting opinions had no weight in such a private matter as this," replied Byakuran.

"Enlighten us," glared Hibari suspiciously, his body tensed like a jaguar ready to spring.

"Oh? Didn't Reborn-san inform you? Tsu-kun and I are getting married."

----- -----

Tsuna woke up with a cry of horror and the barrels of two loaded guns pointed directly to his forehead. The annoyed faces of Colonello and Reborn loomed threateningly over him. "It was… a dream."

"Dame-Tsuna, can't you get up like a normal person?" asked Reborn, his eyes sharper than anyone's eyes should be in the morning. "Your screeching was loud enough to wake the dead."

"This was not how I wanted to be greeted after coming back from Italy, kora!" replied Colonello as he and Reborn withdrew their firearms. "But might as well. You have a conference to go to today. Get up, kora!"

Tsuna whimpered as he was pushed off the bed. He felt even more tired than before and his face was pale from the memory, something Reborn noticed.

"Tsuna? What's the matter? Are you sick?"

Tsuna was flabbergasted at the genuine tone of concern in Reborn's voice. "I—"

"Too bad! Get up and get dressed. I don't care if you're halfway dead—you're going to that conference in an IV drip if you have to. As long as you're still breathing, then this company is still alive. If you're not dressed in ten minutes, I will drag you out by gunpoint in whatever state of undress you are in," said Reborn without a hint of remorse as he inspected Leon for dust particles.

Without further urging, Tsuna turned his room inside-out in his frantic desire to preserve his modesty. He knew how Reborn's mind worked and it was both a blessing and a curse that the teenage hitman would follow through with his promises—and his death threats. And Tsuna was far from immune to his 'punishments,' having been at the receiving end of most of them. People have often wondered why a man as powerful as the Tenth President of Vongola Zaibatsu would bow his head to a mere boy thirteen years his junior. They would even stop and try to fathom how such a child could own an arsenal of firearms that are illegal in Japan. But Reborn's uncanny ability to be everywhere, know everything, and make things simply 'disappear' was always enough to quickly silence critics.

Only Colonello could fully understand his fellow Arcobaleno's motives—underhanded they may be. The teenager in camouflage stared in confusion as chaos fell around them. It was unlike the other hitman to do something like this. "You're being lenient. Ten minutes? Are you losing your edge, Reborn?"

Reborn's only reply was a curling of his lip and a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Maa, he has a long day ahead of him today. And that dream sounded rather interesting."

"It was horrible," groaned Tsuna as he searched frantically for something to tie his long hair with. "Even though I was aware it was a dream the entire time, it was an absolute nightmare."

"Oh?" drawled Reborn with a raised eyebrow. Now that sounded interesting. "Are you training your hyper intuition even in your sleep, Dame-Tsuna?"

Colonello crossed his arms and nodded. "Commendable. You have indeed grown as Juudaime of Vongola."

Tsuna cringed as he found a black ribbon and headed for the door. "It's nothing like that. Anyone with half a brain would be able to recognize it as a dream."

"Oh? Then that is certainly an achievement. How so?" asked Reborn with rare interest, ignoring the dirty look Tsuna shot at him.

Tsuna scowled as he turned the knob. "Mukuro knocked."

Reborn could hardly contain the mocking laughter that threatened to burst forth at his former student's admission. It was a joke that could only truly be appreciated by the two of them, given Colonello's own tendencies. The blond Arcobaleno's confused stare proved Reborn's theory correct as the concept of knocking on doors to gain entrance meant nothing to him, who preferred to climb through windows and drop from airducts. For these purposes, Reborn and Tsuna made certain to keep the Vongola buildings clean inside and out. Frequent messages were also sent out to disregard the militant Arcobaleno, lest those who attempt to apprehend him face the barrel of a hand-held cannon.

The three of them went down to the car waiting outside in relatively companionable silence, Tsuna quietly summarizing the details of his dream and leaving out... certain portions. Tsuna was thankful that unlike other Arcobaleno, Reborn and Colonello actually treated each other with mutual respect as equals. Except when it came to training sessions and lectures. Those simply made Tsuna feel as if there were two Reborns bent on breaking him.

"I wouldn't sell you out to Byakuran for such a low price, Tsuna," smirked Reborn as Tsuna shot him a scathing glare.

Colonello scrutinized Tsuna for a few seconds before the figurative light bulb of realization blinked to life above his head. It had been bothering him since Tsuna described his incredibly weird—rather dry for his age—dream. "I see your weakness… you're either too much of a workaholic, or are overly prudish, kora." That or withholding the more rated details.

"Worse, a virgin," smirked Reborn, relishing Tsuna's gasps of outrage. Colonello's eyes widened and he gave a low whistle.

"I am not having this conversation with the two of you prepubescent brats!" shouted Tsuna as his face grew bright crimson. Here he was, a twenty-five year old man being talked down upon by a pair of preteen brats—gun-toting preteen brats, but brats nonetheless. And worse, he could do nothing to stop it.

Reborn and Colonello, as per their usual, ignored him. "How could you have let this happen, kora!"

"Not for want of trying… or partners, Colonello. Tsuna's dense nature has always been the biggest obstacle."

"Aren't you listening to me?" raved Tsuna.

"We are. We're just choosing to ignore you until you say something more interesting than 'no'," said Reborn without even a glance at Tsuna. "But barring that, there is something you should know. Dino is coming over to assist on the Millefiore deal."

That revelation startled Tsuna. "Dino-san is coming? But I heard that Cavallone was having problems with the Estraneo Family."

Reborn could not suppress the annoyance that reflected on his face. Tsuna was not supposed to know anything about that, especially not from any white-haired weasels. "Who told you this?'

"Byakuran told me yesterday when he came with Hibari-san." Reborn's clear displeasure came as a surprise to Tsuna, for the Arcobaleno had been the one to request the meeting in the first place. "Was he not speaking the truth, Reborn?"

"Tsuna, from now on, do not speak of such matters with Byakuran when I am not with you. It will do no good for you to hear rumors that could sway your decision-making."

"But!"

"I would do what Reborn says, kora," warned Colonello. "The worst thing we can do is hear a one-sided outsider's version of a story that may not hold any weight. Remember, right now, he is still the enemy."

The frantic look on Tsuna's face dissolved at the younger's boy's assurances. "You're right. Dino-san is a good leader and knows his priorities. If he is actually coming, then everything should be all right on his end. But one thing bothers me." Tsuna fixed questioning eyes on Reborn. "Why on earth would Byakuran say something like that? Why risk lying about something when negotiations between Vongola and Millefiore are already so strained?"

Colonello smirked. For all the deception and backstabbing that went on right before Vongola Juudaime's very eyes, he still chose to hold his judgment and think the best of everyone. It was this pacifist nature backed up by his contradictory amount of power that kept Vongola safe ever since it came under his responsibility. He was the placid yet firm zookeeper of a pride of lions. "Then answer this, kora. What is the best thing about having nothing? Millefiore is being threatened by a power it cannot control, so it will surrender itself under the protection of Vongola, and yet why are they in such good spirits, kora?"

Reborn's expression turned calculating as the car rolled to a stop in front of the Vongola company main building. His tone was slow and exacting as Tsuna slowly opened the door and stepped out of the car. "What do they have to gain, Tsuna?"

"Those who have nothing have everything to gain," replied Tsuna sadly before he closed the door and made his way into the building, conveniently forgetting about the two inside. Byakuran was his friend, but he was also his enemy. Many questions swirled around his head as scenario after scenario formed and was rejected by his mind. But one thing was for certain. "It's too early in the morning for either of you to be lecturing me."

Company employees who recognized their small Juudaime bowed in greeting as he passed them. Despite his heavy thoughts, Tsuna still managed to smile at the people around him as he made his way to the glass doors. But before Tsuna could take a step through the door, a heavy body slammed into him from behind and he careened right into the shocked group of interns in front of him. "Ah! Excuse me!" They all went down like a bowling ball striking a bunch of pins. And in the confusion, Tsuna barely heard a frantic and familiar voice yell his name.

"Tsuna! Are you all right?" Dino, who had just descended the stairs to view the commotion, jogged over to where he saw his 'younger brother' fall.

Tsuna struggled to regain his balance, but as he turned to greet Dino, his eyes widened when he realized that the blond man was without his entourage of body guards. That never spelled good luck in all the years that he has know him. "Wait, Dino-san! Stay where you are!"

"Tsuna, what hap--!!' But the warning came too late as the blond man tripped over the fallen bodies and tumbled straight into Tsuna. Dino's downward force brought him and Tsuna crashing to the floor, adding to the mess of bodies that now littered the front of the lobby.

"Dino-san!" gasped Tsuna, but Dino's weight advantage proved too much for him to steady himself and the impact on the floor left him seeing stars and tasting blood. Their momentum also caused Dino's face to slam painfully into Tsuna's, hurting their teeth at the force of the impact.

Dino recovered first, as his ill-fated fall was unfortunately cushioned by Tsuna's much-smaller body. He got to his knees and covered his mouth with a wince of pain. "Are you all right? Tell me I didn't kill you! Reborn-san will murder me! Tsuna… you're bleeding."

"D-Dino-san, I'm fine," said Tsuna. When he finally regained his motor skills, he looked up at the leader of Cavallone as he removed the hand over his mouth. "Your lips are bleeding. Did you bite yourself?"

"They are?" asked Dino as he turned and saw his reflection on the mirrored walls of the lobby. "Would you look at that. Your lips are bleeding too, Tsuna."

The innocent remark froze Tsuna where he sat and unconsciously, he swiped his tongue over his dry lips. Indeed, he tasted the coppery liquid. But there was just now way… There was no way that he and Dino-san could have accidentally ki--… He quickly whipped around to face the mirror and to his horror, his bleeding lips were nothing in comparison to the terrifying scene. The smirking reflection of Reborn was seated upon the lobby counter and was slowly lifting the microphone of the intercom to his lips.

"Reborn! Stop!!"

**Ding Dong. Ding Dong.**

_Code Red. Sexual harassment of Vongola Juudaime on the first floor lobby of the main building._

_Come and get him if you six are man enough for the job._

**Ding Dong. Ding Dong.**

Dino whipped around and held Tsuna by the shoulders. His eyes burned in fury. "Tsuna! Who has been harassing you? I'll kill the bastard myself! Just let me find Romario and the rest. Oh, here comes Kyoya and Mukuro. Kyoya!! Mukuro!!" He waved at the two, oblivious to the danger on his life.

The two dark-haired Vice-Presidents were the very images of death as they approached the two men, weapons drawn at the ready.

"GET YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM JUUDAIME!!" boomed Gokudera's voice from the large plasma screen in the lobby that normally televised announcements and advertisements. His eyes were wide and frantic as he looked down upon the people of the lobby in his fury. "ALL OF YOU!"

"Dino-san, you have to get away!" shouted Tsuna as he pushed his 'older brother' towards the nearest elevator that also contained the Cavallone bodyguards who had descended in search of their absent boss. He could already see Hibari and Mukuro stalking forward. "This is not good."

"Tsunayoshi-kun…"

Reborn smirked as he tipped the edge of his fedora over his merrily shining eyes. "Let loose the hounds of hell."

-----

End Chapter Four

-----

Author's Notes:

- I'm sorry you guys, I meant to post this much earlier, but things just kept me busy. With work and that other story that just kept drilling itself into my head, I haven't had the time until now.

- You are all free to make your guesses into what is going to happen, but just keep in mind when I say not to trust anyone… except maybe for Tsuna. Things are not as they seem. XD Poor Dino… He's so much fun to manipulate.

- Yeah, cliff hanger. ^^ You guys will get ample amounts of 1827 vs 6927 in the next chapter.


	5. Irreplaceable

Zaibatsu

--

Chapter Five

--

It had been years since the deer-in-the-headlights look had graced Vongola Juudaime's face. Neither the raid upon the company by the Varia nor Hibari's constant "I will bite you" threats could move the powerful president with such fear. Then again, everyone knew that Hibari was a true softy on the inside. The still-circulating "secret" picture of the Compliance VP smiling as he ditched work in order to spend time with his (widely-nicknamed) Hibird was still a best-seller among the ladies of the company.

But the sound of steel tonfas crunching through bone helped them all retain the appropriate visage of terror.

Not even the threat of kidnapping could cause Sawada Tsunayoshi's courage and hyper-intuition to fail—but Mukuro's Valentine's Day "present" came rather close to shattering his cool. The man's idea of "romanticism" involved locking all of the employees out of the building the night before so that he could play a private game of cat and mouse with Tsuna who was working late that day. Tsuna, half-terrified at being left alone to the mercy of the Information Technology pervert for any length of time, had given Mukuro the thrashing of a lifetime.

Half of the top floor had been demolished in Tsuna's attempts at liberation, which only served to fuel Mukuro's glee. But when Tsuna's infinite patience finally snapped, he had kicked Mukuro down the elevator chute… from the top floor… without the elevator. Even now, he could still hear the perverted laughter echoing through his ears, haunting his dreams as Mukuro descended joyfully into the abyss. It was a universally accepted fact that the only plausible reason for Rokudo Mukuro's continued survival was that the Devil didn't want him.

Tsuna would vehemently argue that Mukuro was Lucifer himself.

But the denizens of Hades that now stalked towards him, their vicious glares fixed upon the equally powerful company boss beside him, were ungodly beyond all reason. Tsuna was half-expecting that any moment, fangs would protrude from their snarling mouths and leathery wings would burst from their shoulder blades.

"Tsunayoshi-kun, kindly get out of the way," smiled Mukuro almost genially, but his hard eyes and unrelenting pace spoke of unrestrained malice. "This is going to get messy."

Hibari did not even deign to address them with words before he bodily launched himself at Dino, tonfa raised and ready to strike down upon the Cavallone president.

Dino's eyes widened at the descending length of steel. He was not expecting a warm welcome from the stoic Compliance VP, but he had hoped that it would not be related to relentless violence either. But… he was wrong. "Kyo… ya?"

"Idiots!" groaned Tsuna as Mukuro passed closed enough that he could feel the long strands of indigo hair against his cheek. The two men may be as fearsome as demons, but they had forgotten that in Vongola territory, Tsuna played the sole role of God. With very good reason. "Sorry, Dino-san."

The unexpected blow to Dino's head never came as Tsuna dropped to the floor and hastily swept the blond man's feet from under him. What would have been a lethal tonfa blow by to the man's head missed and was embedded three inches into the marble floor. Mukuro did not even have an opportunity to launch his own attack before Tsuna caught hold of his long hair and pulled. Hibari hadn't fared much better when Tsuna took advantage of the opening in his guard from his failed attack and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

With his rather considerable strength, Tsuna twisted both men around and bodily pinned them facedown to the floor. Their audience promptly backed away at the violent aura of killing intent that seemed to simply radiate from their company president. Even Dino had to inch back as his bodyguards surrounded him due to the potential threat to his life.

Tsuna turned back and smiled at Dino, but the crimson staining his amber eyes and the growing atmosphere of rage gave no illusions to Tsuna's mood. "I apologize for this lack of courtesy, Dino-san. Please go on ahead to the conference room. I will join you in just a moment."

"But--!" Dino's complaints died upon his lips as his bodyguards began to usher him towards the elevators. "Romario, stop! I'm worried about Tsuna!"

Romario winced as he took one last glance at Vongola Juudaime, who was in the process of reprimanding Gokudera through the monitor. Just before he pushed the button to the top floor, he caught one last glimpse of Tsuna as the younger man began to drag the two prone bodies up the steep, unforgiving flight of stairs. "Boss, your worries may be misplaced. I'm more worried about what Tsuna-sama is going to do to Hibari-dono and Mukuro-dono. Brutus, please stay with Boss at all times. It would not be good to be caught unawares at this time."

Dino glared. "Romario! The one who needs to be protected is Tsuna! What if the pervert who is harassing him returns?"

The bodyguards all let out a mutual groan. They loved and respected their boss, but even they had to admit that they wished he wasn't so obliviously stupid. "Boss, the pervert they were talking about was YOU!" Ivan pointed out.

"…. Eh?"

----- -----

In his fury, Tsuna disregarded the muffled yelps of discomfort (and sometimes outright swearing) from his captives. He could feel the heat from Hibari's glare burning the back of his neck, but instead of cowering like the Tsuna of ten years ago, Vongola Juudaime returned the glare with an equally scathing one of his own. Hibari, slightly stunned by the venomous look, removed his glare and simply allowed himself to be dragged.

Mukuro was normally more vocal with his protests, but the withering glare that Tsuna shot Hibari and the magnificently acidic tone he used to whiplash Gokudera effectively kept his mouth shut. Not to mention that Tsuna was glorious in his fury.

Tsuna arrived at a long-unused, two-story conference hall and released his grip on their coats as Gokudera rushed forward to accost him, eyes permanently plastered on the floor. "Juudaime, I have failed you! Please do with me as you will."

The soft smile on Tsuna's face belied the Angel of Death within him. He brushed past all of them and took a seat upon a dusty desk near him. His face remained unreadable to all three men, but the silence was broken when he held out his hand. "If you all insist on acting like children, then that is how I will treat you. Now hand them over."

The three Vice-Presidents stared at the outstretched hand blankly before one of them broke the silence. "Juudaime?"

"Let me make myself clear. Hand over all your weapons."

"But, Tsunayoshi-kun—"

"Now!" snarled Tsuna in righteous anger. "I don't understand why you even bring them to work! Don't you understand that there is a company policy to not bring anything like these here? The handbook was revised specifically for the three of YOU!"

"How do you explain the Varia?" asked Hibari, hiding the fact that he was actually rather miffed at being reprimanded.

"Unlike you three, they know self-control. And that's saying A LOT," quipped Reborn. "They have done less damage during the entirety of their existence compared to the disaster area each of you cause in a single day."

The three men reluctantly handed their weapons (at gun-point) to Reborn, who handled them with a knowing twinkle in his eye and a sly grin on his face. "Tsuna, I will meet you in the conference room with Dino after you have finished cleaning up in here. You can even thrash them a little, the damages will be covered."

Tsuna sighed and got to his feet. "Don't bother waiting, I'll come with you right now. Dino-san and Byakuran have been kept waiting too long." He then turned a worried yet obviously warning eye on the three men. "If the three of you have nothing better to do, then stay here and think about the consequences of your actions."

Tsuna quickly hurried out the door with a penitent Gokudera groveling directly behind him.

Then, like two rabid animals running on instinct and searching for blood, the remaining two turned on each other.

Hibari drew another pair of tonfas from beneath his shirt just as Mukuro pulled another trident from behind a marble pillar. The two men lunged at each other and the metal weapons gave a violent clash when they met. The aura of killing intent quickly and irreversibly filled the room.

Hibari drew back his right tonfa and slammed it mercilessly into Mukuro's stomach just as Mukuro stabbed up with the blunt end of his trident. Both men saw stars and felt the force of their attack break bone. Mukuro was the first to regain his bearings and he leaped back and fell to one knee. He winced at what he was sure was a broken rib.

"Ugh…" Hibari stifled a hiss as he stumbled back and cradled his badly fractured jaw. He tried to open his mouth to speak, but he found even the simple task too straining on his injury.

Mukuro fared no better as even breathing caused sharp pinpricks of pain to lance through his lungs. But he did not have time to recuperate as he threw himself to the side just in time to see a heavy tonfa sail through where his head used to be and crash through the window. "Oya oya, what are you doing now, Hibari-kun?" gasped Mukuro through the pain. "What are you going to do now that you've lost your—"

Hibari smirked but said nothing to spare his injured jaw. He simply reached under his shirt and drew out another tonfa, identical to the others he previously used.

"Kufufufu… Have I ever told you why I despise porcupines, Hibari-kun?" laughed Mukuro lightly, but his eyes were hard.

'They're hedgehogs,' thought Hibari with a glare dripping with acid.

"Even when guarding, they still have an annoying amount of weapons to deal with," smiled Mukuro as he prepared to charge again.

"And have I ever told you why I hate magicians and illusionists, Mukuro-kun?" teased a third voice as Byakuran lazily watched them from the second-floor balcony. But Byakuran had little time to jest and only had the devil's own luck on his side when he managed to dodge the two tonfas and three tridents that hurtled his way. "Both of you need anger management classes! Hasn't Tsu-kun told you that that is no way to treat a guest?"

A weaponless Hibari glared scathingly at the still-conveniently trident-bearing Mukuro. Although he was unable to form words, the message screaming "hypocrite" was coming through loud and clear. Mukuro smirked back smugly, unashamed at his brazen lack of guilt and basking in it.

"As I was saying," said Byakuran with a hint of annoyance. "Do you have an answer, Mukuro-kun?"

Mukuro's smile was even darker and less sincere when he faced the snow-haired man. "I'm afraid I have no time to spare for pleasantries, Millefiore. As you can see, we are rather engaged with beating the crap out of each other. And before you ask, no, I would not find your company any more or less pleasant than Hibari-kun's. Good day."

"Oh, by all means continue bashing each other's skulls in. I'll just waste some time over in Tsu-kun's office," said Byakuran as he made to turn around. "That way, you two can be alone for your little tête-à-tête with no one to bother you."

"Like hell you are!" snarled Hibari despite the agonizing pain that shot through his jaw. "And don't group me with this worm. Touch Sawada Tsunayoshi and I'll bite you to death."

Byakuran laughed and leaned against the railing of the balcony. "Your little sayings are just so cute, Kyoya-kun," Byakuran said merrily before his eyes opened to pin both of them with a cold, steely gaze. "But I don't really see either of you as a threat. A porcupine's spines do serve as a means of protection, but it can't protect anyone else. In fact, they are the very vehicles which keep everyone else away."

Hibari hissed in the desire to retort, but his swelling jaw made the further formation of words impossible.

"As I was saying, Mukuro-kun," continued Byakuran, but before he could continue his sentence, he was forced to flip over the balcony. He landed on the lower floor and regained his good humor. "Ara, Mukuro-kun. It's not nice to interrupt someone when they're speaking to you."

Mukuro also gave a closed-eyed smile as he pulled his trident that was buried inches into the wall where Byakuran's head used to be. "I've never been one to follow such trivial things. But enlighten me, why do you hate magicians and illusionists?"

"Oh, it's simply," said Byakuran with a steely edge to his tone. "It is because they defy God. Death is the end, yet they always seem to defy even that little rule."

"Oya oya, is someone bothering you with their continued existence?" smirked Mukuro. "Then I applaud their tenacity. Who may it be?"

Cold, violet eyes were once again hidden behind a kind smile. "It's nothing to lose sleep over, Mukuro-kun. It's just a little more troublesome than hacking into the stock market and rearranging numbers. Besides, you should know that murder is a crime, Mukuro-kun."

Mukuro smiled darkly. "Only if you're caught, Millefiore."

"Don't let Tsu-kun hear you talk like that, Mukuro-kun. He might actually beat you to death this time," playfully warned Byakuran.

"Kufufufu… I will give Tsunayoshi-kun more little deaths than you would care to know in the near future, Millefiore. That is not something **you** need to concern yourself with," smirked Mukuro as he saw the expressions of his two companions grow absolutely glacial.

"I will kill you," growled Hibari as he lunged up and over the balustrade, weapons forgotten in the overwhelming desire to rip Mukuro limb from limb with his bare hands.

"Is that a threat?" replied Mukuro as he threw himself over the balcony to impale Byakuran with his trident.

"It's whatever you want it to be, Vongola," said Byakuran in a deadly whisper. He readied himself for the onslaught that was imminent.

Just as war was ready to break out, the three men found themselves off their feet and face-down on the floor. They looked up and saw a demon-possessed Tsuna with a massive stack of papers in his arms. He was so furious that his eyes were completely red.

"I leave the two of you to yourselves and expect you to be mature enough to not kill each other within minutes. And Byakuran, my subordinates are on the phone, vainly trying to calm down Irie Shouichi from going after your blood. I must have thought too highly of each of you. Now you will be disciplined like the children you act like."

All three men involuntarily shrank back in fear.

----- -----

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

"Lal Mirch-san, my friend Sho-chan is call—"

Lal pointed the barrel of her rifle point-blank at Byakuran's temple. "Your friend is what?"

"Is a very good friend," said Byakuran with a foxy smile. "Who's very patient."

----- -----

"Get out of my way," snapped Hibari through the bandages on his jaw.

"Now, now Kyoya. Tsuna told you to behave and just sit down," said Dino as he tried to placate the beast.

"Neither of you can tell me what to do!"

"No, but **he** can." Dino opened the window to allow a tiny yellow bird into the room.

Hibird sailed over to Hibari and gently landed on his knee. He sharply jerked his head from side to side before he chirped in a disappointed tone. "Hibari!"

"What?" growled Hibari without the usual threatening edge. He even averted his eyes from the beady ones staring at him.

Hibird continued to shake his head in disapproval.

"… I'll bite you to death."

----- -----

"Arcobaleno, I…"

_Bang! Bang!_

"Shut up and stamp those papers, kora!" yelled Colonello into Mukuro's ears as he waved his hand cannon enthusiastically.

Mukuro glanced distastefully at the mountain of papers before him. "This is not part of my job description, Arcobaleno."

"Then quit." Reborn's tone was blunt but his eyes sparkled with mischief as he reloaded his gun. "There are many others waiting to take your place."

"Oya oya, let's not take the joke too far, Arcobaleno. Who could possibly do this job better than myself?"

"Irie Shouichi," said Colonello

The humor all but faded from Mukuro's face and the beginnings of a glare was quick to form. "Oh? Am I that replaceable?"

Reborn glanced at him knowingly from under the edge of his fedora. "Would you like me to start naming names? You are **all** replaceable."

"Then perhaps it would be better if I simply disappeared?" smiled Mukuro as he leaned back on his chair.

The corner of Reborn's lips slowly twisted up. "Do as you wish."

"Kufufufu…"

-----

End Chapter Five

-----

Author's Notes:

- I owe you guys an explanation as to why I haven't updated in a while. I was laid off from my job due to the economy and haven't really had the time to write. It was only recently that I got a new job and had any desire to write at all. Uhm… but that's really only part of the reason… the other reason is that I'm writing another story for KHR called "A Not-So-Modest Proposal" which is a bit of a spin-off from Densha Otoko with Tsuna as the unwilling Hermes and Mukuro as a… rather questionable… Densha. I got the inspiration from a doujinshi. But that's only a small part of a much larger picture. Oh, it's a lot of fun to write (as a few chapters of it has actually already been written). But since I do not yet know what the reception to it will be, my continuation of it will depend upon reader's receptions of it, I suppose.

- Not much happened in this chapter, but I needed it to put things in motion. Plus, I like the idea of Mukuro and Hibari beating the living crap out of each other. I promise that the next chapter won't take as long as this one did to come out. But of course… reviews help motivate me along also.


	6. Words of Warning

Zaibatsu

-----

Chapter Six

-----

Thursday.

Tsuna woke up with the nagging feeling that something was horribly wrong. He got up from bed early with no interruption and slowly got into the shower. But as the warm water washed over him, it could not erase his uncomfortable feeling of unease. Even alone in his room, he could feel the piercing eyes trained on his figure and a less-than-innocent aura emanating from who the gaze belonged to.

Much more quickly than he would have liked in such a rare, peaceful morning, Tsuna rushed through his shower and whipped his towel around himself. For good measure, he draped the bathrobe he never used over his wrapped self and cinched the belt tightly. He glanced at his reflection in the foggy mirror and frowned at the idiotic coward who stared back.

Carefully, suspiciously, the powerful Juudaime of Vongola Zaibatsu inched the bathroom door open and peeked one amber eye out to scout his surroundings. To his relief, there were no Reborn, no Colonello, and best of all, no heterochromatic perverts as far at the eye could see. Tsuna sighed with great relief when the only movement he could note in the area was the swaying of his curtains from the early morning breeze.

"I must be getting paranoid!" laughed Tsuna as he yanked off the robe and made to strip off his towel. "It's such a beautiful morning. I shouldn't be acting like this at my age."

"I will not tolerate your tardiness to work because of your foolish dawdling, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna's good mood instantly turned into horror as the breeze died down and the curtains returned to their unmoving state to reveal the frowning form of Hibari Kyoya. The man was leaning against the wall, hidden in the shadows caused by the early morning sun, but even the darkness could not hide the gleaming onyx eyes, crimson arm band, and ominous 'I will fuck you up if you so much as breathe the same air I do' aura the dangerous man exuded.

The deathly, girlish scream that erupted from Tsuna's lips was quickly stifled by a hand as cold as ice. It had taken Hibari mere nanoseconds to close the distance between them and slam an unforgiving hand over his superior's mouth to silence him. Unfortunately, the excessive force through which Hibari stifled Tsuna's cries also knocked the poor man off his feet to lay prone and stunned on the carpeted floor.

Normal people who hold their lives dear do not attack their boss. _But then again, wolves are not humans_, thought Tsuna with a shiver of fear as Hibari moved himself fully over him to pin him down more efficiently. "Hi-Hibari-san—" mumbled Tsuna against Hibari's hand. But even in his completely powerless state, he could not help but wonder at how such a cold man could set his body aflame. Nevertheless, Tsuna was well aware that the heat he felt was actually due to embarrassment as there was little more than a single sheet of fluffy cotton separating his body from the frigid stare of his Vice-President.

Hibari, on the other hand, was oblivious to his captive's plight, but he could barely suppress a shudder as Tsuna's lips and hot breath moved against his hand. He leaned in closer and locked gazes with widening amber eyes before he finally liberated Tsuna's mouth.

Although Tsuna could once again breathe properly, Hibari's invasion of his personal space did not make the hammering of his heart lessen. "Hibari-san, I have to get dressed or I am going to be late."

"I don't care." Hibari's voice was unusually soft and affected.

If Tsuna had been standing, the sheer force of gravity would have been enough to send his jaw straight to the pavement. But in his trapped state, all Tsuna could do was wonder where the real Hibari went. The rule-bending Hibari that loomed above him must be a phantom, an alien, some sort of sexually-harassing image of a deviant concocted by his oxygen-starved brain.

He was the Hibari-version of Mukuro.

"But Hibari-san…"

"Tell me something, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"Could you please get off of me first?"

"Why do you call Rokudo by his first name?" whispered Hibari as his lips gave life to an insecurity his mind did not even have time to completely process. He had surprised himself with the vehemence that laced his tone, but he had never been one to regret his words. It was a question that he wanted an answer to.

Long minutes passed, but the question still hung between them like dead weight. Neither party wanted to break the silence in fear of what sequence of words would finally be released.

Tsuna was stunned by the question and his surprised made him temporarily forget his awkward position. An answer had been at the tip of his tongue, but he knew that from the barely perceptible glint of insecurity in his Vice-President's eyes that it would not be good enough. He himself did not know how the turn of events led him to grant the close familiarity with Mukuro and Lambo (although Hibari appeared to have conveniently dismissed the latter as beneath his attention), but he knew that there was only one answer.

"Mukuro insisted I call him by his first name because he was Italian and unused to Japanese customs," said Tsuna with a nervous laugh.

Hibari's glare grew glacial. "Do not take me for a fool."

With a sigh, Tsuna's tone turned into a commanding one more suited to Juudaime. "Is there a reason I cannot? We have been through enough and have been together for so long… is it so strange to call them Mukuro by his first name?"

Hibari's glare grew quizzical instead. "And the baseball brat and your guard dog—"

"Gokudera-kun will forever be in the mindset of Boss-Right hand Man and have insisted that he will never cross that line. And Yamamoto has always been Yamamoto. As he says himself, it would be too strange to call him anything else at this point."

Hibari's stern stare reverted back to his normal aloof gaze at the admission. With a rare hint of a smile on his lips, he stood up and headed for the door just as Hibird flew in through the open window to land on Tsuna's knee.

_I could have sworn that window was closed last night_, though Tsuna as his eyes flew open with shock. Hibari had to have entered the third-floor room somehow and from the locks, bolts, and sensors still active on the door… "Hi-Hibari-san, you didn't… the window…?" asked Tsuna as he slowly sat up, careful not to jostle his little yellow rider.

Hibari stopped just as his hand touched the door knob. "… Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"Tsunayoshi!" chirped Hibird in the most incensed tone Tsuna had ever heard come from the cheerful little bird. Even more surprising was that the flustered animal's indignation appeared to be fully directed toward his own master. He sped toward Hibari, nestled on his head and began to pull at the jet-black strands with as much violence as his small body could muster.

"… Tsunayoshi," mumbled Hibari as he glared darkly at the numerous locks and bolts.

"Kyoya?" started Tsuna decidedly when he heard his Vice-President refer to him only by his first name. To his horror, the very tips of Hibari's ears darkened by a few shades of crimson. He had successfully caused his Vice-President to lose his infamous apathy and the possible reprisal made his heart quail in fear.

"You're late!" Hibari hissed as he yanked open the door, tearing all the locks and bolts straight from their hinges, and slammed it in his haste to escape. The sound reverberated through the manor for a long time.

Tsuna's growing smile was quickly arrested by one quick glance at his clock. His eyes grew impossibly wide as the long hand waved him swiftly closer and closer to his impending doom.

----- -----

When Tsuna arrived at the Vongola main building, he was met by a scene of utter chaos. Employees spilled out from the front doors like they were bats out of hell while he could see his Vice-Presidents readying themselves to plow straight through the tide of people.

So much for his peaceful morning.

"What is going on here?" Although Tsuna's voice did not carry the volume that Ryohei's had nor the poisonous charisma that simply dripped from Mukuro's, the complete sense of just authority his tone held quieted the mob. From their separate areas, Mukuro and Yamamoto approached Tsuna. Lambo had also attempted to accost his tardy boss, but he had taken an unscheduled fall down the stairs and was currently engrossed with drowning to harried employees with his childish tears.

"Tsunayoshi-kun," addressed Mukuro without a hint of his usual playful humor. Instead, the grave, almost serious look on his face worried Tsuna more than the pandemonium that surrounded them. "We have a problem."

"I can see that," Tsuna said as his eyes narrowed and gained a vermilion tinge to their hue. "Explain, now."

Yamamoto sighed, but his easy-going attitude was not reflected on his stance. His ever-present smile was eerily absent and all that remained was helpless confusion. "Tsuna, there is someone here offering to purchase Millefiore from us if we should obtain it from Byakuran."

"Send them away. Negotiations have not even been finalized and—"

"Tsunayoshi-kun!"

Tsuna's building tirade was cut prematurely when Mukuro placed both gloved hands on his shoulders. The heterochromatic eyes that stared into his held both unfamiliar anxiety and the ever-present spark of the man's clandestine nature. It told Tsuna that something was seriously wrong.

Mukuro's eyes furrowed when he finally got Tsuna's full attention. "Tsunayoshi-kun, this is not a situation that we can easily defuse by simply turning someone away. The representative inside can advance the growth of a company as easily as they can crush it to dust. Not even Vongola Zaibatsu is immune to such effects."

"But they cannot possibly be serious! Byakuran—"

"They are offering 600 billion yen* for Millefiore, Tsuna," warned Yamamoto. "That amount of money as well as those powerful enough to offer it on a whim… only fools would scoff and dismiss such people."

The crimson in Tsuna's eyes darkened and smoldered to the color of live embers at Yamamoto's warning. It was a ridiculous amount of money for such a small company. At that moment, Tsuna was certain of one thing, Byakuran had not told him the entire truth. They were dealing with a whole different kind of animal than just job protection. Tsuna was aware that the snow-white man had a fair share of secrets and less-than-legal dealings, but the gravity of the situation grew heavier and more twisted as time passed.

"Then that is a matter we must tend to. Why has everyone evacuated the building? It is not related to this, is it?" asked Tsuna as they headed for the front doors that were barely hanging from the door jambs. "Lambo."

The sobbing Operations VP cleared his throat to regain the ragged remains of his dignity, but fixed still-teary eyes toward his superior. "Yes, young boss?"

"Find out who destroyed these doors and deduct the repairs from their paycheck."

"Ah—but!!" Lambo's complaints fell silent to Tsuna's ears as the three men ventured further into the building. He did not have the opportunity to tell his boss that it was one of Byakuran's followers who had demolished the door and went on a rampage that had everyone pouring out of the building. In his self-frustration, the tears began to well up once more.

Tsuna and his two VPs headed toward his receiving room, where the guest waited. As the approached, Tsuna turned to Mukuro. "Mukuro."

"Yes, Tsunayoshi-kun?"

"Which company are they representing? There are only a handful of companies in Japan who could afford, much less blatantly overpay for Byakuran's company. It would hardly profit them to…" Tsuna stopped in his tracks. "… but that's not what their goal is, is it?"

The mystifying gleam in Mukuro's eyes quickly dissipated as he and Yamamoto turned to face Tsuna. "Perhaps not."

"Who is it, Mukuro?" repeated Tsuna with a hard-edged tone. "Yamamoto?"

Mukuro and Yamamoto exchanged glances. They both signed heavily and Yamamoto turned to open the door. Mukuro shook his head and pinned Tsuna with a weighty stare. "They said that they are representing a rising Italian company: The Estraneo Company. I ran a background check on them, but the details behind them are so heavily classified that I'm afraid there is not much I can offer."

**_"Tell me, Tsu-kun. Have you ever heard of the Estraneo Family?"_**

At the sound of the name, Tsuna's blood ran cold just as a piece of the puzzle fell into place. Despite his shock, Tsuna, as the Juudaime of Vongola Zaibatsu, kept his expression carefully schooled and neutral. "Off the record, what is your impression of all this, Mukuro?"

As always, Mukuro was amused and smug to know that despite his antics, Vongola Juudaime highly respected his input as well as those of his other Vice-Presidents with regards to the betterment of the company as a whole. But it was a pity that this time, Tsuna was going to struggle a little. "Either position will only profit Vongola, Tsunayoshi-kun. Millefiore is hardly much of a threat and Estraneo is focused of pharmaceuticals, which is a field of little interest to our finance and technology-based target areas. However, it does explain their significant spending power.

"And upon further hacki—research, my team has discovered that one of the hidden Italy-based branches for Millefiore was focused on the construction of a stem-cell research facility. It is hardly fit for advanced research and testing, but Millefiore should receive Vongola's near limitless resources, then it is clear how their potential would be a cause for worry for Estraneo."

"Then there is no plausible reason to shelter Byakuran," said Tsuna, but the words felt bitter on his tongue. "From a purely economical point of view, that is." Byakuran had lied, Tsuna was well-aware. He knew that there had to be a hidden agenda as to why Millefiore was opting for such a one-sided absorption. And yet…

"It depends," replied Mukuro mysteriously as he leaned closer to whisper into Tsuna's ear. "Are you only looking at this from a financial standpoint? Will you take this personally? What is Byakuran to you? These are questions you much ask yourself even though you may not want to. Because if that snowflake means something to you, then you much choose between advancing this company to greater heights or sheltering the poor little doggy in the window that can potentially bite the hand that feeds it. Will you be Tsunayoshi-kun… or will you be Vongola Juudaime?"

"Don't be ridiculous, I am both," said Tsuna as he closed his eyes. "Is that even a question that needs to be asked, Mukuro?"

Mukuro gave a low chuckle that caused Tsuna to shudder as warmth tickled the sensitive hairs on his neck. "The answer may not be as simple as you think." Mukuro practically hissed the latter part of the sentence as Tsuna felt the man's mischievous aura turn fit to kill. "May I offer a word of warning, Tsunayoshi-kun?"

"What is it?"

Mukuro leaned even closer so that his lips lay flush against the shell of Tsuna's ear. "Never let Hibari Kyoya get this close to you again. His scent is all over you." The IT VP's tone was gentle, but his jewel-like eyes were hard.

Tsuna glared and pushed Mukuro away. "What are you, an animal?"

Mukuro's tone remained light, but his expression spoke only of the gravity of his resolve and the enormity of the situation. "For you, I can be an animal, I will be a beast. If only to prevent other beasts from laying their paws on you, I will be anything."

"Don't be ridiculous!" snapped Tsuna as Mukuro headed for the door. "I would never even think of asking such a thing of you."

"You do not have to."

"Why are you always acting like this around me, Mukuro?"

Mukuro laid a hand on the door and burst into genuine laughter. "Oh, Tsunayoshi-kun. For all your hyper-intuition, there are still such obvious things that evade your comprehension."

"This is not the time for rid—"

"Sooner or later, Tsunayoshi-kun, you will understand what jealousy is when you see it." With that, Mukuro pulled open the door, entered with all the confidence of a king, and let it shut behind him without looking back.

"—dles, Mukuro." Before Tsuna could finish the sentence, his legs had given way under him, and he collapsed in a crimson heap on the floor. Not even Vongola Juudaime was able to control the spreading warmth that blossomed across his face and wormed itself into his mind. "You idiot…"

----- -----

It took a while before Tsuna was sufficiently able to regain his composure and enter his office. Upon entering, he quickly made his way over to sit on his chair to greet his guest, conveniently keeping Mukuro, who stood behind his desk with a satisfied smirk on his face, out of his immediate line of sight.

Yamamoto opened the side door adjoining the receiving hall to let in a small girl with a familiarly large hat. "Tsuna, this is the representative from Estraneo Company, Mi—"

"Uni!" yelped Tsuna as he jumped from his chair soon as he saw the identity of his guest. "Wha—why? You're a member of Estraneo?"

Uni gave a soft but dazzling smile. "It's been a while, Tsuna-san. I'm here to negotiate the possibility of purchasing Millefiore Company from Vongola Zaibatsu."

"Uni," started Tsuna hesitantly as he sank back into his chair uncomfortably. "Vongola does not have the right to Millefiore Company as of yet. There is no guarantee that the deal would even pass. Wouldn't Byakuran be a better person to negotiate with? Millefiore is not beholden to only look to us for a possible parent company."

"Oh, but they are, Tsunayoshi-kun. When it comes to cooperation or full-surrender, what would a caged animal choose?"

Tsuna made to correct Mukuro with an acidic reply, but Uni's agreement with the IT VP's declaration stopped him. "What does Byakuran think of this?"

Yamamoto laughed. "Why do you think the front doors are broken, Tsuna?"

Tsuna mentally noted to have a long talk with Byakuran regarding respecting company property at a later date. "But regardless of that, it's not something I can decide upon myself."

"Don't worry, Tsuna-san. We're quite open to negotiations," laughed Uni. "But Leader also told me to warn you beforehand."

"About what?" Tsuna asked tentatively.

"Even if you shelter them, Millefiore will still fall," relayed Uni with a hint of danger in her tone.

Mukuro tightened the grip on his trident and Yamamoto's hand hovered slightly over his katana. Tsuna merely closed his eyes and leaned back on his chair. _What great lengths people go to in order to protect their pride._ "Am I to assume that there is no way to change your mind? I am already well aware that your true reasons for doing this will not be illuminated for me. However, I still consider Byakuran a friend despite his bad habit for dark mischief."

Uni waved her hands and shook her head to express her disagreement. "Oh no, Leader isn't so stiff that he won't listen to negotiations. We can't tell you the true reason why we must take and dissolve Millefiore, but I was told that there was something else Leader wants more."

Tsuna leaned forward. "I'm listening."

Uni grinned innocently and pointed directly at Mukuro. "Mukuro-san. Leader wants Mukuro-san to work for Estraneo in exchange for sparing Millefiore."

Tsuna stood so quickly that his chair was knocked backwards with the force of his reaction. "Your leader… wants Mukuro?" A bitter, unfamiliar tang weighed heavily on his tongue and his lungs felt like they were caught in a vice. He could feel his heart pounding so hard it was fit to burst from his chest in inexplicable horror.

Uni shook her head. "In truth, Leader would much rather have you, Tsuna-san. However, he knows that Vongola needs you now more than ever. He will settle for Mukuro-san."

"But that's impossible," whispered Tsuna. "I can't just do something like that…"

"So," chirped Uni cheerfully. "Do we have a deal?"

----- -----

- End Chapter Six -

----- -----

*600 billion yen = a little under 7 billion US dollars

Author's Notes:

I know I meant to update earlier, but I became so busy with the wedding, the aftermath, and the adoption of my handsome little prince (a Shiba Inu named Rusty) that I just couldn't find the time. I'm really sorry, you guys. But on a more positive note, I updated!! *waits for the cheering and hears nothing but the crickets* I hope you guys like this update as there's something for HibaTsuna fans and MukuTsuna fans.

As a blatant plug-in, ShadeofGray *loves on!* has translated Chapter One of Zaibatsu into Vietnamese! (**http :// vnfiction. com / viewstory .php ?sid =2938 &chapter =1**) Just remove the spaces and the parentheses. I don't read or speak a word of the language, but I am just overflowing with excitement and gratitude at how much attention Zaibatsu (and A Not So Modest Proposal) has received. I do wish that I could reply to all of my reviewers individually, but I do prefer to keep Authors Notes on the short side. Reviews are always loved.


	7. Secrets Between Brothers

Zaibatsu

Chapter Seven

When he was a young child, Tsuna loved to play games. He may not have been very good at them, but he enjoyed them nonetheless. He was always "It" when playing tag, always the first one found when playing hide-and-seek, and he was always the goose in a circle of ducks. He did not always have the most desired role to play, but he was tolerant enough not to let it get him down.

But there was one game Tsuna loathed with a passion: tug-o-war. It was a game for the strong and cunning—neither of which was an adjective people would normally associate with him. But now, instead of the poor creature who was about to receive a mouthful of dirt, Tsuna felt like the even more unfortunate rope that was about to be pulled both ways. It was never the rope's fault who won or lost. It minded its own business until a group of snot-nosed children or testosterone-driven men with too much time on their hands took it upon themselves to disturb it.

No, it was not Tsuna's fault. But he still ended up with the short stick in the end.

"Feed Byakuran to the wolves, kora. I would like to see them rip him apart. It won't hurt him. There's not enough human left in him to bleed," said Colonello as if it was the most obvious decision in the world. He had arrived just as Mukuro and Yamamoto were called back to their respective offices. "Why in the hell are you even thinking about it, kora?"

"The wolves wouldn't touch one of their own, Colonello," replied Reborn as he took the seat that Uni had previously occupied.

Dino grimaced at the mental image. "It's not that easy. Who's to say that Estraneo won't turn on Vongola after absorbing Millefiore? It is already a risk even if Mukuro does join them and they keep their word to leave Millefiore be. Mukuro is one of the last people I would want working with my potential rivals."

"They are only interested in pharmaceuticals. If that holds true, then they should not have an invested interest in Vongola," said Tsuna as he rubbed his aching temples. "And Uni is not the type of person who would knowingly go back on her word. Moreover, the contracts that will be drawn up should make these agreements absolutely clear."

Colonello snorted in mockery. "That's if she's the only employee Estraneo has. Uni's innocence serves as a perfect cover for anything they could possibly have planned, kora."

"Contracts aren't worth the paper they're written on," drawled Reborn lazily as he slowly spun Leon around his finger and stared at the ceiling with utmost fascination. "And as Dino pointed out, you all forget who we're dealing with here. Someone as resourceful and irreverent as Mukuro to Estraneo would be like providing strangers with the power to control when the sun rises and sets."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" asked Tsuna. "We can't send Mukuro, we can't abandon Millefiore, and I sure can't leave the zaibatsu to itself."

Reborn smiled. "Don't think too hard. Sometimes you don't have to do anything at all."

"Well, that's comforting," said Tsuna with a tone that dripped in sarcasm.

"You're spending too much time with Mukuro to start sounding like him, kora." Colonello pointed out snarkily.

Tsuna shot him an annoyed look. "Is there nothing else we can do? I don't understand how someone with as much pull as Byakuran would not want to run independently. As per Gokudera-kun and Mammon's calculations, Millefiore should still be able to function without having to surrender to Estraneo or sell to Vongola."

Dino shook his head. "You're thinking like an economist, Tsuna. Think like a strategist. Even Mukuro could not find any information regarding Estraneo other than the obvious: they are an Italian-based pharmaceutical company with capital to burn and an inexplicable interest in Millefiore. Millefiore may or may not be dabbling in stem-cell research aside from their visage as a tech-based producer. As small as the danger to one's standing may be, it would be smarter to crush a potential competitor before they can grow strong enough to actually pose as a threat."

"Through any means necessary, kora." Colonello nodded with a grim expression on his face.

Reborn's smile grew into the full-out smirk. "You're learning something after all, Dino."

Dino returned the smile with a pleased, boyish grin of his own. "It's not like we haven't had to deal with similar situations in the past when I took over. If Cavallone had maintained its course during my father's time and if our relationship with Kyuudaime and Vongola wasn't as strong as it was, we would have been a prime target as well."

Tsuna shook his head and sighed. "I don't like how this is turning out at all."

"As I said, don't worry about it so much, Tsuna," said Reborn as he loaded Leon with more ammo. "For all you know, the answer to all of your questions could actually be quite simple."

o-----o

Mukuro sat and stared at the monitor before him with an uncharacteristically bitter smile on his face. He was alone in the IT office, having dismissed Chrome, Ken, Chikusa, and Lancia to help deal with crowd control brought about by the excitement of that morning. He did not want any witnesses to what he was about to do.

Slowly, he turned on the monitor and entered a password with quick strokes of his fingers on the keyboard. The screen flared to life with static, but it was quickly cleared to focus on the image of another man looking back at him. In contrast to Mukuro's annoyed state, the indigo-haired man on the screen smiled gently with what looked like genuine affection. "Otouto."

"Nii-san," drawled Mukuro with a fox-like smile. "Ohisashiburi desu."

"How are my adorable little siblings doing all the way in Japan? I would have thought that Mukuro-kun and Chrome-chan would have forgotten their nii-san after these past few years. You both just left without saying goodbye."

"Kufufufu… we did not like the weather in Italy. Nii-san was the one who chose to stay behind. The fault is entirely your own."

Demon Spade's smile was uncannily like Mukuro's own. "Oh? But I heard that there was the possibility that you were moving back to Italy. Has Tsunayoshi-kun decided between you or the snow-white snake yet?"

Mukuro's eyes narrowed with a displeasure that he did not bother to hide. "And who was it, pray tell, who told you about this little turn of events? They need to stop spreading such horrendous lies if they cannot handle the consequences."

Muted laughter filled and echoed through the empty office from the monitor. "Don't play coy, otouto. Haven't you spoken to Uni-chan yet? She told me that she was heading to Japan three days ago."

"Oya oya, I had not known that Estraneo would be sending someone so young and cheerful to negotiations. I would have expected for you to come yourself, nii-san." The frown on Mukuro's face was quickly dissipated by another of his empty smiles. "Being that you are on the Board of Directors and all."

"Oh, but Mukuro-kun, I was just following orders and regretfully had to stay here," said Demon Spade with a touch of affection. "But I will see you soon enough, won't I? After all, Chrome-chan…"

"Leave my cute Chrome out of this!" snapped Mukuro. "She is not a participant in this little game Estraneo is playing."

Demon Spade shook his head. "She is my cute imouto also, just as you are my naughty little otouto, both of who I miss very much. By the way Mukuro-kun, it is not nice to lie to Tsunayoshi-kun like that. Pretending not to know anything about Estraneo and all."

"Kufufufu… Tsunayoshi-kun does not need to be bothered by such insignificant details. His mind is already filled with thoughts and images of me."

"Such a devious little brother I have," said Demon Spade as he shrugged. "But no matter, you will find your way here sooner or later. We will prepare for your arrival nevertheless. There is a jet ready for your use at anytime."

"Oya? Would your esteemed leader be happy to know that you are wasting precious time and resources doing such unnecessary things?"

Demon Spade's expression turned calculatingly sly. "Try your best not to disappoint Tsunayoshi-kun, otouto. I'm sending you something interesting I found among Millefiore's files. Who knows, it might be of some use to you."

With a quick wave, Demon Spade's image disappeared from the screen and was replaced by a new file. "Oya? What is this?"

For the rest of the day, the employees of the zaibatsu steered clear of the IT Department. For years afterward, rumors of hauntings would circulate through the company in remembrance of the sinister laughter that echoed through the building.

o-----o

Tsuna sighed as Gokudera dejectedly walked out of the office with Reborn and Colonello. The silver-haired man had entered the office and requested assistance regarding his department, but as Dino was still present, he was forced to settle for the two Arcobaleno instead of his Juudaime. Although his voice was as chipper as ever, his stance and the deep crease between his brows betrayed his true feelings of disappointment.

This left Tsuna alone with Dino in his office. "What a day… I assume that Cavallone is in no danger, Dino-san?"

"Of course not, Tsuna. If there was any danger, I sadly would not have been able to come and see you. It would have been a pity since it's always so exciting here every time I visit!" laughed Dino before his tone took on a teasing quality. "I don't know how you can deal with those six and their demands and still remain sane. It's the opposite of Cavallone's situation as they can't seem to be able to function without their boss!"

"It's not always easy," said Tsuna as he sat back and stared out of the window. "I don't have the luxury of second-guessing myself and what they expect of me anymore."

"It's the price of power and hyper-intuition after all," added Dino. "But why do you look so down? All day, it looked as if you were bothered by something other than this whole Estraneo-Milefiore business, Tsuna."

Tsuna was silent as he mentally warred with confiding with Dino or not. But he knew that the longer he thought, the longer he would be without an answer. Confiding with Reborn would only serve to confuse and belittle him further. He would not look at Dino as he spoke, lest he betray the slight reddening of his cheeks. "Despite what most people think, I'm not as oblivious that I appear."

Dino's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "… then you're aware that half of your VPs are…"

"Don't say it," said Tsuna hurriedly. "I'm not so dense that I don't know, or so blind that I wasn't able to fit the pieces myself. Hyper-intuition is rather useful, but completely unnecessary in this situation."

Dino gave a low whistle. "Who would have thought? But Tsuna, if you're aware of it, why do you seem to ignore them? Does it bother you that they are men?"

"No, it doesn't. It's not as if it's something you can help." Tsuna glared to the side, but his cheeks burned even darker with warmth. "But acknowledging it and being confronted by it are two different things. I would prefer for them to maintain their image of me as oblivious. Just imagine how much worse it would be if they knew that I was much more attuned than they thought? There would be chaos! Mukuro and Hibari-san really will kill each other."

"Oh Tsuna, it can't be that bad!" said Dino with an optimistic grin. "They're adults who can keep themselves in check by now!"

Tsuna stared at Dino with a half-incredulous, half-annoyed expression. "Dino-san, have you already forgotten that the two of them were ready to tear you limb from limb just yesterday?"

"That's how Kyoya traditionally greets everyone, Tsuna."

Tsuna made to counter the point, but he could not deny what everyone knew of his Compliance VP. "… Just before this meeting, Mukuro warned me that he would savage Hibari-san if he came near me again. He used the word 'jealousy' to illustrate his point and excuse his potential actions."

"But how did he know?"

"He said that he smelled him on me."

A bark of laughter outside the door startled both of them, but when the noise died down and was not followed by subsequent interruptions, the disturbance was disregarded as inconsequential.

The two young presidents remained in thoughtful silence until Dino chose to break the quiet surrounding them. "I sometimes wonder if Mukuro is part animal. Did you respond to him?"

"I didn't get the chance. As I said, the difference between acknowledgement and confrontation. It wasn't as if I was expecting it at the time," moaned Tsuna as he rested his weary head on his desk. "And now, I don't know if I should even say anything. None of them ever allow me to get a word in. They just prattle on and then run away as if toying with my patience is their idea of a good time. But…"

"But?"

Tsuna lifted his head to look at Dino out of the corner of his eye. "Perhaps this is good enough for now. It's not as if I have a ready response to give any of them, after all." He made to shake his head, but a certain look in Dino's eyes confused him. Just like a man hit by a lightning bolt, Tsuna shot straight up on his seat and stared at his companion in horror. He had been pouring his heart out the entire time, but it was a possible scenario that he did not even anticipate. "Di-Dino-san?"

"Hmm?" Dino tilted his head to the side. "What is it, Tsuna?"

Tsuna gulped and gripped the wood of his desk. He was ready to push away and flee depending on the answer. "You… you aren't… also…?"

"What?" asked Dino with a confused tone before Tsuna's ashen expression told him exactly what the younger man thought. He instantly tipped over in his chair in surprise and blushed crimson to his ears and down his neck. "N-no! Tsuna, regardless of these stupid rumors and bets running rampant, I have always only thought of you platonically as my little brother! Believe me!"

_Bets?_ Tsuna let out an intensely relieved sigh that he wasn't aware he was even holding in. He brought a hand up to scratch the back of his head nervously and laughed. "Sorry, Dino-san."

Dino soon joined in with Tsuna's laughter at their situation and they did not stop until both of them were too exhausted to do more than giggle at the memory. A soft knock on the door brought them back into a calmer state. Tsuna wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes as Dino righted himself, dusted off his clothing and headed for the door. "Sorry for taking up so much of your time, Tsuna. Being a president does have its responsibilities after all."

Tsuna gave Dino a brilliant smile. "Dino-san, thank you for listening."

"Anytime, little brother," Dino replied with a friendly wave of farewell before he opened the door and let himself out.

_So this is how it feels like to have a real older brother._ Tsuna smiled. However, his good mood quickly faltered when he saw a man with snow-white hair enter the room after Dino's departure. "Byakuran."

Millefiore's president smiled childishly. "Tsu-kun, let's go get some ice cream!"

The cheerful demeanor only served to worsen Tsuna's mood. "This is not the time to be playing games, Byakuran. You know as well as I do how the situation has turned."

Byakuran's icy lilac eyes opened, but the smile remained on his face. "You're no fun, Tsu-kun. So Estraneo is forcing you to decide between Mukuro-kun and myself?"

"Millefiore and Mukuro," corrected Tsuna even as he knew that the slip of his current companion's tongue was purely intentional.

"Of course, Tsu-kun," laughed Byakuran as he approached Tsuna's desk, placed both hands on the flat surface, and leaned forward almost conspiringly. "I'm well aware that there is little for Vongola to lose by choosing Mukuro-kun over Millefiore, but I also know that you are not the type of person to abandon those who are genuinely in need of assistance."

Tsuna's voice was practically a growl. "Just as genuine as the research facilities currently being constructed in Italy that you conveniently forgot to mention? Just as genuine as Estraneo's pressure on Cavallone?"

Byakuran shook his head almost condescendingly. "Tut tut, Tsunayoshi-kun. We have just begun negotiations and accusations are already flying. The threat to Cavallone is very much real. It has not yet affected them, but all Italian companies are potentially being marked as candidates to be bought out by Estraneo Company."

"What?" The growls from earlier turned into a quiet whisper as Tsuna grew tense.

"Silly Tsu-kun, how else do companies become conglomerates? How else do you have a 'zaibatsu' under you? You bought or were joined by other companies to form one main body with many parts," explained Byakuran. "It's a common practice to want to expand your reach if the possibilities are there. Whether other companies choose to join you or not is up to your influence. The only difference is if they come willingly or if they need… some convincing."

Tsuna opened his mouth to speak, but Byakuran was quicker.

"And you're about to ask me about the Millefiore stem-cell research facility being built in Italy. The establishment of the facility was of no secrecy, Tsu-kun. It was merely downplayed to keep corporations like Estraneo from descending upon us like a pack of hyenas on an easy meal. After all, what right do they have for sole monopoly over such a potentially life-saving and lucrative branch of medicine? But as you can see, their reach extends much further than anyone could have imagined."

To say that Tsuna was stunned would have been a major understatement. As much as he tried to search for a discontinuity with what Byakuran just said and the information he already knew, he could not find any inconsistencies. Millefiore's capabilities were still being fully researched as negotiations were currently at a standstill. Even Tsuna knew that putting everything up front on the table with a deal that as of yet had the possibility of falling through would be a foolish move. And with the enigmatic Estraneo's bold movement, there were still many questions to be answered.

But this information was a double-edged sword. It was a relief for Tsuna's image of Byakuran's integrity, but the decision that appeared so clear-cut mere moments before was now completely clouded over with doubt. "I… apologize for my rudeness, Byakuran. It has been a trying day and I had accused you without just cause."

Byakuran's smile was one again filled with innocence, but his eyes remained open. "It happens to the best of us, Tsu-kun. But I like you, so it is easy to forgive."

Tsuna, who had slowly started to relax, instantaneously grew rigid with tension in his seat. He struggled to reply, but the ingenuous air around Byakuran prevented the actual words he wanted from forming. "Thank you."

"No, no, that's not right. You're supposed to say 'I like you too' when someone confesses to you, Tsu-kun." Byakuran leaned forward even further and locked his lilac eyes with warm amber.

The tone of Byakuran's voice was still innocently teasing, but the raw desire Tsuna recognized in the beautiful gaze was completely contrary in intention. Tsuna wanted to run and hide at the emergence of yet another snarling beast, but he managed to save his dignity and compose himself. Byakuran was a perfect man in terms of appearance, but Tsuna did not feel the same surge of unexpected warmth as he did with his Vice-Presidents. And yet, even with this realization firmly in mind, the ability to form words eluded him all the same. "I can't—"

Byakuran held up a hand to silence Tsuna from completing the sentence. "Don't worry about it, Tsu-kun. I was just teasing you! So, ice cream?"

Tsuna deflated like a balloon as he felt practically boneless with relief at Byakuran's assurance. He slowly stood up, shook his head, and headed for the door. "You really should stop eavesdropping on people's conversations, Byakuran. Especially the ones taking place inside my office."

"I'll keep that in mind if I ever have the urge to do so in the future," was Byakuran's smart reply. However, remnants of the confusing want still remained in his eyes until they closed with his usual fox-like grin.

Tsuna resisted the urge to strangle the white-haired man in his frustration and simply nodded with a bright grin. "But some black sesame ice cream does sound nice. After you pay for damages Zakuro and Bluebell inflicted on my front doors."

o-----o

When Gokudera Hayato returned to his boss' office with a document for approval in his hand, a skip in his step, and his heart all aflutter, he was not expecting to see such a distasteful sight. "Juudai--!" The usual enthusiastic greeting was ready to burst from him once he saw the slim figure of his boss open the door. However, he was incensed to see Byakuran's taller frame following directly behind Tsuna's heels.

He instinctively hid himself behind a marble pillar and peeked an eye out to see what was going on. It frustrated him to feel as if he had intruded on something private between his beloved Juudaime and the bane of his existence. However, he was driven to almost animalistic fury when the white-haired bastard look in his direction, shot him an infinitely superior smirk, and draped an arm over Tsuna's shoulders as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

At that point, Gokudera was too far blinded with rage to notice Tsuna glare at Byakuran with annoyance and gently remove the arm around his shoulders. "Unforgivable…"

Later that day, no one dared to question why all of the vehicles Millefiore used to drive to Vongola were piled up in the courtyard. All they did was call the Namimori Fire Department who, familiar with other such instances in the past, waited patiently until the small hill of metal, glass and steel, exploded into a fiery inferno before proceeding to put it out.

o----- -----o

- End Chapter Seven -

o----- -----o

*Ohisashiburi desu – "Long time, no see" loosely.

Author's Notes:

Dammit FFN! Give me my proper section breaks back! About two and a half months since I last updated. Not too bad, I suppose. But to update Zaibatsu and Proposal in the same week? I am beside myself with how good I've been. This chapter doesn't seem to have as much humor as the last ones, but it's rather necessary to move my plot along. Yes, unlike Proposal, there is PLOT! I kinda had to guess regarding Demon Spade's personality since we don't really know too much about him. But I figured he couldn't have been too different from Mukuro.

As usual, thank you very much for your kind (and often very amusing) reviews. I particularly am amused by those who are converting into the 6927 fandom and those who are happy to read my stories after a stressful day. Though I have a feeling a few of my readers may want to kill me as I didn't really answer too much of anything in this chapter… if anything I may have raised more questions. -sadistic laughter- And as for everyone not wanting Mukuro to go to Estraneo… Kufufufu… we'll see.

And I just realized on this edit that Zaibatsu has reached 200 reviews. Thank you very much!


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